David Popovici shared, after winning the Olympic bronze, that during the summer he trains in an outdoor pool, the same one where he learned to swim at the age of 4, and during the winter in a dome where an ordinary person would suffocate. These are the conditions in which top Romanian athletes train, and for years, politicians only send congratulations without taking any concrete action, David Popovici added, in one of the most direct and impactful speeches coming from a Romanian champion.
„(…) I train at Lia Manoliu, in the same pool where I learned to swim at four years old, that’s why I’m so tanned with the goggle marks, because I swim there outdoors. And during the winter, since we were talking about conditions, when it’s cold outside, because the indoor pool… for a very long time, it has been promised that something will be done, but nothing ever starts, when it’s cold outside, we train in a dome where a person who is not used to it goes in and stays… 3 minutes, goes in and feels like suffocating. Well, under those conditions, we train,” the athlete said in an interview for TVR.
"For an educated, healthy Romania, we need to invest more in sports. This is a message to all politicians who talk about it, but at some point, the message gets stuck somewhere. So, we need to do something!" the champion further stated.
How Much Did What David Popovici Said Move the Romanian Political Leaders?
Below are the reactions of President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, and PNL leader and Senate President Nicolae Ciucă:
- President Klaus Iohannis focused on gold
The President of Romania remains faithful to his communication line, therefore he did not make any comments on this matter. Furthermore, Klaus Iohannis posted his last message on his Facebook page on Monday, congratulating Popovici for the gold medal brought to Romania at the Olympic Games in Paris. He did not react to the bronze and not even to David Popovici's outspokenness.
- Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, no response
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also loudly congratulated David Popovici for the gold medal: Sensational! The most beautiful gift, bravo...
Today, after David Popovici's speech exploded in the media, being called an interview-manifesto, Prime Minister Ciolacu remained silent. At the beginning of the government meeting, he spoke for 5 minutes. About sexual harassment in the academic environment, investments in infrastructure, subsidies for farmers, digitization of the Trade Registry, and the safety of children under maternal care. Not a word about the message that the Romanian champion practically sent directly, considering he is in the position to make the decisions.
- Senate President Nicolae Ciucă - up to date, but selective
The other decision-maker in the government coalition, PNL leader Nicolae Ciucă, who is also the Senate President, is up to date with the congratulations. However, his reactions are selective.
He congratulated David Popovici for the bronze medal in the 200-meter event: an incredible performance, a true champion.
He also congratulated the "incredible performance in rowing."
After that, discreetly, he moved on to political selfies and sent a message to the liberal women who won "a tough battle" in the local elections. None of them seem tanned "with goggles."
Later in the evening, at the PNL headquarters, Nicolae Ciucă was asked by journalists and was forced to give an answer. Here it is:
"There needs to be coordination between government authorities and local authorities to invest more in sports infrastructure. There are numerous sports halls being built in several counties in the country (...) Indeed, in Bucharest, we do not have a swimming pool that meets the requirements, nor a multipurpose hall. I believe Bucharest deserves more, and we can discuss this with the mayor, so that the development of such infrastructure projects becomes a priority."
No comments.
- Natalia Intotero - historic statement: Solutions must be found
The only government representative who mentioned something about David Popovici's statements was the Minister of Family, Youth, and Equal Opportunities, Natalia Intotero.
She said she is proud, congratulates Davd, but does not deal with sports. And she gave exactly the answer we have been hearing for over 30 years in every important matter for Romania that should happen.
"(...) yes, solutions must be found to invest more in high-performance sports, I listened to David Popovici's statement in its entirety. (...) I am convinced that after the end of these championships, through a focused discussion with colleagues, solutions must be identified so that high-performance athletes can benefit from adequate training," Natalia Intotero said, quoted by Mediafax.
When asked if Popovici will have an Olympic-sized pool suitable for training by the next Olympic Games, Natalia Intotero replied: "I hope he will have better conditions than he currently has."
What Could Have Been Done and Was Blocked
Not only have politicians failed to do something to support the development of adequate sports infrastructure, but they have also hindered existing projects.
This is stated by the rector of the University of Bucharest, where David Popovici is studying. A project submitted by UB has been on the waiting list for 10 years.
Romania has a "miraculous" economic growth, has European funds for investments, but does not have money for sports, "because it allocates them unfairly and inefficiently for special pensions, for any salary increases demanded by unions, for covering huge salaries and losses at autonomous agencies and inefficient state-owned companies such as Tarom," accuses Marian Preda.
He also says that "in Bucharest, the capital of Romania which produces a quarter of the GDP, not even the universities (except for the Medical one) have swimming pools," Preda emphasizes: "Not even the University for Physical Education and Sport where Professor Adrian Rădulescu, David's exceptional coach, teaches, has its own swimming pool!!!"
And a project has been on the waiting list for 10 years; the university is considering supporting it from its own funds if the government does not contribute.
"At the University of Bucharest, we have had a project to build a swimming pool in Grozăvești for over 10 years, in the place of the parking lot in front of the dorms; We submitted it for funding then and it remained on the waiting list for 10 years; we were told that there are swimming pools in Bucharest (where??!) so more should be built in the country (oh, local and regional political interests!). Because funding has not been found for 10 years, we withdrew and redesigned the project and we now have it ready again 100%, with all the necessary approvals to be submitted for funding again," the rector mentions.
The rector finds it unacceptable that the university where an exceptional Olympic champion studies does not have a swimming pool. Under these conditions, Preda announces that the university undertakes to build a swimming pool through its own efforts (6 million euros) if public institutions do not get involved.
David Popovici will resume his studies at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Bucharest starting this fall.
Instead of an Epilogue: 35 Years Have Passed and All That Remains Are Photos
The most fitting conclusion to the lack of reaction, accountability, and ability to respond by the current political leaders of Romania to a speech like the one delivered by David Popovici yesterday is what tennis player Sorana Cîrstea concluded, who joined the call of the Romanian champion: We are used for political gains. After all the photos and congratulations, they all disappear and only return after 4 years, when another "happy anomaly" occurs.
"When it comes to any sport in Romania, training conditions are deplorable, perhaps even humiliating. It is a moment of pride when a Romanian athlete wins a medal at the Olympic Games or achieves a good result at a Grand Slam, bringing indescribable joy at a national level. However, these results represent at most 1%, precisely what is visible. What is not visible is hidden, with tens of thousands of grim stories behind these results," she stated.
"We do not ask, but we are used for political gains. After all the photos and congratulations, everyone disappears and only reappears after 4 years, when another 'happy anomaly' takes place. Unfortunately, we no longer have expectations from the political environment for a long time, as 35 years have passed and all that remains are the photos," the athlete emphasized.