A historic triumph for the Republic of Moldova: our weightlifters have returned with a veritable “bag of medals” from the World University Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Making a comeback to this competition after an eight-year hiatus, the national team caused a true sensation, capturing a record-breaking 26 medals: 10 gold, 8 silver, and 8 bronze. This outstanding performance propelled our team to a highly respectable second place in the overall national standings.
Upon arrival at the airport, our heroes were welcomed with open arms by their families and federation representatives. Among those who shone brightly on the stage in Doha were Alexandrina Ciubotaru, Tudor Bratu, and Dan Betca; they authoritatively dominated their weight categories, each claiming three gold medals.
“We faced fierce competition, with athletes from South Korea and Taiwan—countries where this sport is highly developed. Even so, I gave it my absolute all and brought the gold home for the Republic of Moldova,” Alexandrina Ciubotaru shared.
In turn, Tudor Bratu highlighted the grueling effort behind the success: “I am extremely satisfied. The preparation was quite difficult and lengthy, but I managed to achieve an excellent result.”
Ambitions remain high for Dan Betca as well, who is already looking toward the future: “This is my first achievement of such magnitude—294 kilograms—but I know the next one can be even bigger.”
Alongside the absolute champions, Ion Badanev, Adriana Conac, Anastasia Palic, Alexandru Baldji, Victor Moroșanu, and Stanislav Uja made a decisive impact, collectively gathering another 17 medals for the country’s tally.
The President of the Moldovan Weightlifting Federation, Antonio Conflitti, could not hide his pride regarding the results in Qatar: “Second place overall is a massive achievement. We outperformed countries that are much stronger in weightlifting, and naturally, we are overjoyed.”
Following a brief rest, the elite of Moldovan weightlifting will resume their training. The next major challenge awaits: the World Championships, scheduled to take place from October 27 to November 8 in Ningbo, China.
