Nadia Comăneci (63 years old) visited the Dinamo Sports Complex, where she met with the swimmer David Popovici (21 years old), during the launch of the program “Be and you champion!”.
The initiative, carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs through the Dinamo Sports Club, in partnership with the City Hall of Sector 2, aims to promote sport among children and young people.
The event was also attended by Ionuț Lupescu, the honorary president of CS Dinamo, Mihaela Cambei, the dumbbell that won the silver at the Paris Olympic Games, but also Mihai Covaliu, the president of the COSR. Important officials, such as Cătălin Predoiu, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and the mayor of Sector 2, Rareș Hopincă, were not lacking.
Photo gallery. Nadia Comăneci visited Dinamo Sports Complex
VIDEO. David Popovici, about Nadia Comăneci: “It's an inspiration for us all!”
David Popovici, multiple European, World and Olympic champion at swimming, remembered with emotion of the first meeting with Nadia Comăneci: “For me it is very beautiful. We have a picture from the moment Nadia awarded me. I was very young, 9-10 years old, but I was in the first place at that contest. And the fact that we can meet now, 10-11 years later, along with the next generations, it seems very inspirational and I hope that the kids seems the same!”
The “goddess de la Montreal” is deeply impressed by the large number of children who have started to come in pools due to the performances of the Romanian swimmer:
“It is his merit, because he took these children to the pool, as Simona did with tennis, as the gymnasts after me did.
Asked if he watched Nadia Comăneci's 1976 contest on YouTube, in which he became the first gymnast in the world with note 10 at the Olympic Games, David Popovici replied:
“Yes, of course! I am very glad that I can stay with Nadia. I feel grateful that I can consider myself a athlete who contributes to the history of Romanian sport. It is an inspiration to us all.
VIDEO. David Popovici, about the situation at the “Lia Manoliu” basin: “I would have liked to know more”
David Popovici said that there are no new news about the rehabilitation of the covered basin from the National Complex “Lia Manoliu”, although promises of renovation were made: “I would have liked to know more,” the Olympic champion said.
