Alexandra Kiriakova and Andrei Puțuntica win the Moldova Table Tennis Cup

On 25 and 26 December in Bălți, in the hall of sports school No. 1, the country's federation held the Moldova table tennis Cup. In the women's cup tournament victory went to fourteen-year-old Alexandra Chiriacova of Dubăsari, the republic's vice-champion and a pupil of Moldova's merited coach Valeri Grosul. Among the men the honoured trophy went to a product of the “Franzeluța” table tennis school, pupil of Moldova's merited coach Vladimir Semipeadnîi and reigning champion of the country, Andrei Puțuntica (Chisinau).

Alexandra Chiriacova and Andrei Puțuntica have distinguished themselves in past years too at these demanding competitions, which along with the individual national championship form the selection criteria for the national teams. The Dubăsari player has had rather more success at it, of course, winning last year and the year before, in 2017, and being the second racket of the Moldova Cup in 2016. Simple arithmetic shows that she took her first win at these prestigious senior games at the age of twelve — that is, as a mini-cadet. Andrei Puțuntica has also won the senior Moldova Cup. That was in 2017.

As for the venue of the Moldova Cup, domestic calendar events are not held all that often in the republic's northern capital, Bălți. But when they are, it is invariably at a high professional level. So it was this time: through the efforts of Moldova's merited coach Oleg Șaric, who worked splendidly, these competitions earned the high marks expected of them. The men's Moldova Cup. Twenty players took part this time, among them Vladimir Semipeadnîi's finest charges — the republic's champion Andrei Puțuntica, the country's vice-champion Vladislav Ursu, Moldova's fourth racket Eugen Koșciug and the fifth racket of last year's individual championship Cozmolici Felix — who took the cup's places from first to fourth.

After the group stage, the eight strongest tamers of the plastic ball qualified for the main final. Among them were Vladimir Semipeadnîi's pupils — Andrei Puțuntica, Vladislav Ursu, Cozmolici Felix and Eugen Koșciug — representing the “Franzeluța” table tennis school; Natalia Smirnova's pupils Danila Titov and Danu Sofroni, and Victor Câsa, who also trains under Natalia Smirnova. And one more participant in the main final: Mihai Caminski from Ungheni. This pupil of Vasile Adam now studies and trains in Constanța (Romania) and has visibly improved in many aspects of the game. It was Mihai Caminski who managed to get past a master as strong as Veniamin Dubrovin of Bălți in the group. The eight finalists then played a round robin.

Showing a high level of execution, the best in the main final was Andrei Puțuntica, who took the maximum number of points — fourteen. Puțuntica won every one of his matches by the same score, 3:0. A deserved win for Vladimir Semipeadnîi's pupil, who has every chance of distinguishing himself in the second tournament of the selection criteria as well — the individual national championship, whose dates are given at the end of this cup report. For now, we would remind our esteemed readers once more of some of the significant achievements of the hero of the country's Cup, Andrei Puțuntica.

Recall his successful showing in 2010 and 2011 in Strasbourg (France). There, at the Eurominichamps, Puțuntica took gold and silver among the mini-cadets. Puțuntica won the World Cadet Challenge in the cadet doubles and was a silver medallist in the team event with the European side in 2014. He was a bronze medallist in the men's doubles at the European junior championship for players under eighteen (Portugal, 2017). Second place at the Moldova Cup went to the country's vice-champion Vladislav Ursu, who lost only to his club-mate Puțuntica. Vladislav Ursu is also among the main contenders for the coming individual national championship. Here in Bălți he was given a fight not only by the winner Puțuntica but by Mihai Caminski, who lost to the strong “Franzeluța” player by a creditable 2:3. Vlad Ursu finished with 13 points in the table.

Speaking of Vladislav Ursu, we would remind readers that he holds two bronze medals from the European junior championship in Bratislava (Slovakia) in 2015 — in the cadet category, in the team event and in the mixed. In 2016 in Zagreb (Croatia) this pupil of Semipeadnîi became European cadet champion in the men's doubles with the Austrian player Maciej Kołodziejczuk. In the autumn of 2018 Vladislav Ursu performed brilliantly at the 3rd Youth Olympic Games, taking a high fifth place. In 2019 Ursu took bronze in the men's doubles in the junior category in Ostrava (Czechia). Vladislav Ursu has been successful at many other demanding international table tennis forums as well.

Third at the national Cup in Bălți was another strong “Franzeluța” player, Cozmolici Felix. Curiously, his rival for that medal place was his club-mate Eugen Koșciug, who like Cozmolici finished on eleven points in the table. On their head-to-head, 3:2, the bronze medal was awarded to Cozmolici Felix, and Eugen Koșciug took fourth place. Fifth was Natalia Smirnova's pupil Danila Titov, with ten points in the end. Mihai Caminski and Danu Sofroni (coach Smirnova) each took nine points. Here, on the head-to-head of 3:2, sixth place went to Caminski and Sofroni was seventh. Victor Câsa closed out the group of the strongest players. In the consolation final the best was Cozmolici Felix's brother Cezar. He finished ninth.

And now the women's Moldova Cup. Here ten players decided the winner and the medals on a round-robin system. The winner, as said at the outset, was the Dubăsari player Alexandra Chiriacova. Here are some of this strong player's achievements on the international stage: 2018, international team tournament in Istanbul (Türkiye) — 3rd place. Fourth World Games of Young Compatriots, Kazan (Russia) — first place in the singles, third in the team event. 2019 — Romanian national team championship U16, Farul club — first place; U18 — third place. Eastern European League: two first places. Team championship of Catalonia, the city of Reus (Spain) — first place.

Back to Bălți. Distinguishing herself here was no easy matter for Chiriacova. Three players — Alexandra Chiriacova, Vladimir Semipeadnîi's pupil Vlada Caraulinaia and Natalina Brînza, a charge of Moldova's merited coach Oleg Șaric — finished on the same number of points, 17 each. Incidentally, last year's women's Moldova Cup produced exactly the same picture. In 2018 Chiriacova, Natalina Brînza and Diana Gurski also had identical points tallies. Alexandra Chiriacova was declared the winner. And this year too, in the so-called “circle”, she became the cup's first racket.

Second place went to the “Franzeluța” player Vlada Caraulinaia, who was a pleasant surprise at this tournament with so high a finish. Natalina Brînza (Bălți) completed the medal three. The contest for fourth and fifth places was no simple matter either. Smirnova's charges Diana Gurski and Camelia Merenco competed for them, each on 14 points. Gurski was named the fourth and Merenco the fifth racket of this Moldova Cup. Next in the table are two of Oleg Șaric's pupils, Valeria Vieru and Victoria Mihailova, the Dubăsari player Elizaveta Vacarciuc and one more player from Bălți, Maia Țap.

This coming weekend (28 and 29 December) absorbing ties await us in the third and final round of the national team championship. The matches of the 26th individual championship of Moldova, which will be played in Chisinau from 29 February to 1 March, will not only name its heroes but will identify the strongest home masters of the little racket, who will be entrusted with defending our republic's colours at the European and world championships.

Ivan Capsamun

Photo: Sergiu Barancean