National championships lay cornerstone for ambitious plans to grow Snow Volleyball in Romania

Romania was one of only four countries able to deliver a Snow Volleyball national championship in 2021 – as the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent restrictions caused many disruptions throughout the winter season. This past week, the Romanian Volleyball Federation delivered such an event for the third time in history and they did so at Straja Ski Resort, with much help coming from the guest house “Dor de munte” and work done by passionate Beach Volleyball and Snow Volleyball coach Razvan Ifrim.

After two straight editions held in Azuga, this year the organisers moved to Straja, a ski resort that lies at an altitude of 1,445 m in the Carpathian Mountains. With the coronavirus pandemic still posing many challenges to organisers and players alike, the competition featured eight men’s and five women’s teams. After three days filled with competitive action, UVT Timisoara and CSU ASE were the eventual winners of the men’s and women’s competition, respectively.

Rapid Bucharest and CSU Resita finished second and third in the men’s tournament, with Westar Arad causing a sensation as they claimed fourth place with a team comprising of young boys all under the age of 18. Last year’s winners CSU Resita and Westar Arad completed the women’s podium.

After performing well in stops of the CEV European Tour and delivering three editions of their national championships, the Romanian Federation is a strong candidate to welcome the very first Balkan Snow Volleyball Championship in 2023 – and possibly to make it a step further by organising a stop of the European Tour a year later.