Franzeluta wins the Moldovan team table tennis championship
Over the past weekend (28 and 29 December) the 24th Moldovan team table tennis championship came to a close in our capital, and the country's new champion is its most decorated side, Franzeluta of Chisinau. We note that for Vladimir Semipeadnîi's team this is already a tenth win in the national championships.
We also recall that Franzeluta took its previous, ninth title comparatively recently — four years ago, in 2015. In 2016 it was second in the Moldovan championship. It played below its capacity in 2017, dropping to fourth, unusually low for this team. A year ago, in 2018, Franzeluta completed the medal three.
In this championship the celebrated side again confirmed its high class and, as said above, deservedly took a further title, its tenth. In the championship just finished Franzeluta lined up as follows: Vladimir Semipeadnîi, Andrei Puțuntica, Vladislav Ursu, Eugen Koșciug, Vlad Harea and Vlada Caraulinaia. The new champions' pursuers looked good too and impressed with their play.
Second in our championship are the players of the well-known capital sports club Topspin USM (run by Natalia Smirnova). This strong team has masters such as Victor Câsa, Afanasii Mutcoglo, Danu Sofroni and Veniamin Dubrovin. Natalia Smirnova's team took second place in the previous championship as well. Alexandru Policiuc's team Angromix77 (Danila Titov, Denis Țerna, Maxim Ungurean, Vadim Piliponcic and Vadim Ghinda) took third place. Last year, as we know, Policiuc's team finished the championship fourth.
The third and final round of the 24th Moldovan team championship, played this weekend, passed — like the second round — under the sign of the new champions' indisputable superiority. In the third round we finally saw the country's new champions in their strongest line-up. Vladislav Ursu was able to join the closing matches and, like Andrei Puțuntica, who had played from the second round on, he added solidity to the celebrated side, allowing it to finish the championship in first place confidently and with something in hand.
Hence such easy wins even over their main rivals. The second and third finishers, Topspin USM and Angromix77, were both put away by Semipeadnîi's squad by the same score, 4:1. Everything came easily to Vladimir Semipeadnîi's team in the tie against their main rival, Topspin USM. Andrei Puțuntica and Vladislav Ursu came through their matches 3:0. But here Veniamin Dubrovin “intervened”, beating Eugen Koșciug and closing the gap. Franzeluta proved the stronger in the doubles (3:2). And a little later, after a confident 3:0 win by Vladislav Ursu over his opponent, the overall score became 4:1 in favour of the country's new champions.
Franzeluta v Angromix77. First Ursu beat Denis Țerna 3:2. Then, with a 3:2 win over Eugen Koșciug, Danila Titov levelled the tie. Puțuntica beat Maxim Ungurean 3:0. After that Franzeluta won the doubles, and the winning point was brought to the champions by Eugen Koșciug, who managed to beat Angromix77's leader Denis Țerna 3:0. The fourth team, SMART CREDIT, also made a strong impression. Sergiu Cozmolici's team played this championship very evenly, losing only to the medallists.
At SMART CREDIT every player is as good as the next. Cozmolici Felix is perhaps a shade higher in class. But Felix's team-mates impress too. Felix's brother Cezar Cozmolici improved greatly in this championship. His confident 3:0 win over the vastly experienced Veniamin Dubrovin of Topspin USM, for instance, surprised the specialists. The other experienced players — Daniel Coșcodan and Dionis Lipcan, whose games also have much to commend them — earned points steadily. We would add only that last year Sergiu Cozmolici's squad was fifth in the championship. So the progress in these lads' play is plain to see.
The players of Sports School No. 8 — another strong team, made up of Natalia Smirnova's charges and run by her — finished this championship in fifth place. Throughout the championship these young and capable players performed to the measure of their ability and deservedly completed the top five teams. Let us name them. They are Camelia Merenco, Sergiu Șchepu, Gabriel Spivacenco, Andrei Slobodean and the team's experienced recruit Mihai Adam. Next, in sixth place, come the veterans of Studebekker, also known as Eduard Gorenștein's team. This season, besides Gorenștein, it fields two Igors — Pascal and Bobeico — along with Alexandru Iavorschi and Sergiu Nedelcu. A very even line-up too, and one that commands respect.
In seventh, next to last, are the debutants of this championship, the players of Energy Fitness (Chisinau). There are no weak players here either. The line-up: Sergiu Lebediuc, Cristian Bambuleac, Anatolie Gabuja and a player by the name of Liutenco. The regular entrants of the team championship, Adversar from Hîncești, took last place, eighth, this year. But they too deserve a mention. Playing for this club are the charges of their playing coach Sergiu Braguța — Igor Bektaș, Valentin Coroban and Ion Dubceac.
The 24th national team championship has come to an end. Without any doubt it will stay long in the memory, both of those who took part in this absorbing championship and of the followers of this fine sport. Once more we congratulate the country's strongest team on a further title, its tenth in the national championships. We thank the medallists and their pursuers for good table tennis; their play adorned the championship too. A happy New Year 2020 to you, esteemed participants of the team championship, and to everyone who loves Moldovan table tennis!
Ivan Capsamun
Photo: Sergiu Barancean