Romania has secured spots for both its men’s and women’s table tennis teams among the top 16 at the 2026 World Team Table Tennis Championships in London. The Romanian men’s team, ranked 14th in the world, triumphed over Poland, the 17th-ranked team, through a series of intense matches, as reported by the Romanian Table Tennis Federation.
Men's Team Triumphs
The Romanian men’s victory was secured through a combination of skillful play and strategic decisions. Iulian Chirița started strong, defeating Milosz Redzimski 3-2 (11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 3-11, 11-7) in a closely contested match. Ovidiu Ionescu followed with a commanding 3-1 win against Maciej Kubik (11-3, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6), maintaining Romania’s lead. Eduard Ionescu narrowly lost his match but returned to the table where Iulian Chirița clinched the victory by defeating Marek Badowski 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 12-10).
Women's Team Advances
The Romanian women’s team, ranked seventh in the world, also secured their place in the top 16 with a decisive 3-0 victory against the Netherlands. The match saw a strong comeback from Bernadette Szocs, who managed to turn the tables after being down 2-0 against Britt Eerland. Elizabeta Samara followed up with a demanding match against Jie Li, maintaining Romania’s lead. Andreea Dragoman secured qualification with an easy 3-0 (11-3, 11-3, 11-4) victory over Tanja Helle.
Romania’s men’s team will face the winner of the Australia – China match on Wednesday, May 6. Meanwhile, the women’s team will also compete against the winner of the Egypt – Slovakia match on the same day.
