The third edition of the Alexandrion Trophies Gala named its winners last night. In the presence of almost 300 guests, 10 awards were presented to the best Romanian sportspeople of the previous year. The awards ceremony took place at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bucharest and was broadcast live on TVR HD.
The distinctions and financial rewards offered at the event are dedicated to athletes who achieved outstanding performances in 2017, and they are the only initiative of this kind organised and supported entirely by a private entity. The Alexandrion Trophies are meant to reward excellent results in sport, but also to help athletes draw attention to the enormous needs of this field, which requires constant and more active involvement from the state as well as from the private sector.
The winners of the third Alexandrion Trophies Gala are:
- Simona Halep (tennis – world number 2 on the WTA ranking)
- Cristina Neagu (handball – the best player in the world)
- Horia Tecău (tennis – US Open doubles winner)
- Gianina Beleagă and Ionela Lehaci (rowing – world champions)
- Loredana Toma (weightlifting – 3 gold medals at the World Championships)
- Alina Vuc (wrestling – world runner-up)
- Cătălina Ponor (gymnastics – European champion on the beam)
- Marian Drăgulescu (gymnastics – European champion on the floor)
- Romania’s women’s 8+1 rowing team, made up of: Laura Oprea, Mădălina Bereș, Adelina Maria Bogus, Mihaela Petrila, Viviana Iuliana Bejunariu, Ioana Vrinceanu, Iuliana Popa, Denisa Tilvescu, Daniela Drunceanu (world and European champions)
- The women’s table tennis team, made up of: Adina Mihaela Diaconu, Elizabeta Samara, Irina Ciobanu, Daniela Dodean Monteiro, Bernadette Szocs – (European champions)
For the first time in the history of the Alexandrion Trophies, in 2018 the Alexandrion Foundation also presented four awards dedicated to the young hopefuls of Romanian sport.
The Alexandrion “Hope” Trophies were awarded to:
- Elena Chiriac (taekwondo)
- Andra Simion (tennis)
- Theo Matican (Paralympic cyclist)
- Diana Cimpoca (skating)
The Alexandrion Trophies are awarded annually by the Alexandrion Foundation following consultation with more than 20 sports newsrooms in Romania, as well as with authorised public institutions. In choosing the winners, the athletes’ national and international achievements are taken into account.
The Alexandrion Foundation’s involvement in supporting sport is not limited to such distinctions. Boxing, golf, polo and cycling are also among the sports that the Alexandrion Foundation supports. Football, handball and rugby teams have not been forgotten either and benefit from the Foundation’s support.
At previous editions, 20 Trophies have already been presented. Among their winners are: Marian Drăgulescu (gymnastics), Elizabeta Samara and Daniela Dodean (table tennis), Simona Halep (tennis), Horia Tecău (tennis), Anghel Iordănescu (football), Tiberiu Dolniceanu (épée), Ana Maria Brânză (fencing), Cristina Neagu (handball), Cristiana Stancu (martial arts) and Andreea Chițu (judo), Romania’s 8+1 rowing team that won bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games, Alexandru Bologa (judo), the members of the 2016 women’s épée team, Simona Gherman, Simona Pop, Ana-Maria Popescu and Loredana Dinu, Oana Manea (handball), the pair Horia Tecău/Florin Mergea (tennis) – Olympic runners-up. Cătălina Ponor (gymnastics), Albert Saritov (wrestling).
The Alexandrion Trophies are a first of their kind in Romania and are part of the Foundation’s strategy of supporting sporting excellence and performance. In parallel, the Foundation is one of the most active supporters of Romanian culture, awarding prizes every year to established cultural figures and to those at the start of their careers, through the two galas it organises – the Constantin Brâncoveanu Awards Gala and the Matei Brâncoveanu Awards Gala.
