A clip of the Cluj liberals regarding the basin “David Popovici” arouses the ironies: “Cristi from Banat will be baptized”

A clip made by TNL Cluj sparked waves of online ironies, taking into view the administration of Emil Boc and the promises related to the future swimming pool “David Popovici”. The material showed that the basin would only have 8 color, while the Olympic standard requires 10.

The plan of the swimming pool David Popovici from Cluj-Napoca. Photo: Cluj City Hall

In the clip published on the Facebook page of TNL Cluj, on September 8, a young liberal explains, with the site of the swimming basin “David Popovici” in the Borhanci neighborhood, Cluj-Napoca:

“We are in the site of the Borhanci Olympic Basin that will be completed in June 2026. These basin will be able to host national and European and senior competitions. The most important thing is to give Cluj a friendly and modern space for swimming and movement. This complex will include an 8 -color Olympic basin, For spectators, but especially relaxation places such as Jacuzzi, sauna and so on. ”

The video has drawn the attention of the local press and several Cluj people in relation to the number of color that the basin will have according to the TNL Cluj clip-eight color.

“I said that, with only 1,000 seats in the stands, he cannot organize large international competitions. Mayor Emil Boc came out the next day and contradicted us; he claims that in Cluj there will be important competitions. Here we are now another weak point of the project: only 8 color. This appears from a post on the TNL page.”wrote the Media9 publication.

The journalists cited the International Natation Federation that explicitly recommends for the top competitions a 10 -color basin, not only 8. The two additional color serve as a “buffer color”, reducing the turbulence generated by the swimmers and ensuring equal conditions for all participants.

The regulations of the federation specify that: “For the World Championships and the Olympic Games, the competition basin must have 10 color. The use of 8 color is allowed only for other international competitions, but 10 color are strongly recommended to ensure optimum competition conditions and to accommodate the buffer corridors. “

Even if the basin will be 50 meters long and 3 meters deep – two essential requirements according to the standards of the International Natation Federation – the small color and small capacity of the stands excludes it from the hosting of the European, World Championship or other prestigious events – concludes the media9.

See here the video published by TNL Cluj

Video capture of the video published by TNL Cluj

“The new basin will be baptized Cristi from Banat”

The information was quickly speculated in the online environment, and Mayor Emil Boc was the target of critics:

“The new swimming pool in Cluj was to be called” David Popovici “and to host international competitions. Because the block may be extraordinarily competent, the new swimming basin does not meet the requirements for international competitions, being less meters lower than the standards. Therefore, the new basin will be baptized” Cristi “.“, Doru was a little girl on Facebook.

Other commentators have stressed that such “endings” are not unique:

“And in Brasov it is about the same, the super corrupt mayor inaugurated an asymmetrical artesian fountain, a kitsch made by salvation, but around the County Hospital, the sidewalks are in repairs for several weeks, they are better abandoned in the” work done in half “ – commented a user.

“It's the second time they did this. And the UTCN basin (done when everything” was doing well “before 89) is not according to the standards and cannot be used in international competitions,” He explained a local about another famous basin in the city who lacked a few meters to host competitions.

Many commentators have made fun of distress:

“It satisfies your requirements for the second or third attempt. The budget is”commented another Cluj.

“I am not the mayor and the basin too small … It is David Popovici too big!”

“We also have an” Olympic “basin in the city. Which cannot be used for competitions because it has been wrongly designed and does not have a length of 50 m complete. Milica continues the tradition of salvation executions from communism …”

“Maybe it's good. And the basin in Haţieganu Park was made less intentionally so that the competition subscribers could not be disturbed.“

Rendering of the project of the David Popovici basin. Photo: Cluj City Hall

Cluj-Napoca City Hall: “The basin will have 10 color”

“Adevărul” asked for explanations from the City Hall of Cluj-Napoca and the answer was as follows: “The standard for the Olympic basins provides for 8 competition color and another 2 additional, one on each edge, which have a safety and protection role against the waves. As is the Borhanci basin”.

It was probably confused in the presentation of young liberals who read in the project that there are eight color color and did not believe that it would be important to mention the two additional colors.

Indeed, under the conditions in which the basin will have a width of 25 meters and a corridor is 2.5 meters, it can be divided into 10 color.

The problem of only 1,000 places for spectators, which would be very small for large competitions, remains. “The information on the number of places for spectators is correct, but if necessary you can get derogation, it is not an impediment in organizing large competitions”, the representatives of the Press Office of the City Hall said.

International regulations do not provide for a minimum number of places for spectators at an Olympic basin. The Budapest Olympic Basin (Duna Arena) has about 5,000 permanent places, extendable to over 15,000. The London basin (London Aquatics Center) had about 17,500 seats at the 2012 Olympics.

Olympic pool of 28 million euros

The works at the swimming basin David Popovici from the Borhanci Educational Hub started in 2024 and will be completed in the middle of 2026. It is only an element of the investment of 100 million euros that will contain a nursery, a school and more sports halls.

The new Olympic basin, under construction in the Borhanci neighborhood, will be one of the most important sports investments in Romania for recent years.

The investment in the pool amounts to about 28 million euros, money from the local budget of Cluj-Napoca. The building will be structured on three levels and will be able to host national and international competitions due to the dimensions in accordance with the Olympic standards. Inside, the project includes an Olympic swimming pool (50 × 25 m), an Olympic jumping basin (25 × 12 m), an initiation pool, but also three jacuzzi for recovery and relaxation.

The public will benefit from degrees with 1,000 places, which will allow the development of major sports events, but also the access of the community to training and recreational activities.

“An investment of over 100 million euros, meant to provide the best conditions for the best conditions for education, sports and development. This modern construction complex includes: nursery and kindergarten, high school and high school, sports halls, Olympic basin. The Olympic swim Top ”, They sent the representatives of the Cluj-Napoca City Hall, offering details about this project.