Chairman of the Romanian Olympic Sports Committee (COSR) Mihai Covaliu on Friday commented on the end of the term in office of Sports Minister Eduard Novak, saying that nobody holds an office forever, and that "Romanian sport is not dead."
Covaliu's statement comes in response to Novaks social media post "RIP, Romanian sports" when the newly sworn-in government decided to disband the Ministry of Sports and replacing it with the National Sports Agency.
"I saw that yesterday Mr Novak had the conference at the end of his term of office, everyone heard his job report as a minister. Only one thing does not honour him, that social media post from his position of sports minister, which is an important position, but temporary. We must know that in certain periods there are changes as well; office holding is not forever, and we cannot represent an area forever. We are temporary there. That is why we should show more respect when we get something, when we are there and after we leave. Last year, Romania won seven world titles, this year we saw the results of our athletes at the European Championships... so Romanian sport is not dead; it is not dead and it will not die when someone wants or says so," Covaliu told journalists at the at the National Physical Education and Sports University (UNEFS).
He added that the person to chair the National Sports Agency has to understand that the training of athletes cannot be interrupted in any way.
"Of course a ministry is important and representative. But we have always focused on what we can do and what we have to do. And we have demonstrated that. We, the Romanian Olympic Sports Committee, look to the future to see what we can do, and those who want to collaborate to the benefit of Romanian sports will have in us the most loyal and dedicated partner. I look forward to a good collaboration with the new chairman of the agency, because a very important year is coming: there are many qualifying competitions for the summer Olympic games, and we need to support this preparation process. When we talk about the budget for one year, we are actually thinking about an Olympic cycle. So no matter who the chairman of the agency is, it should be understood that training continuity cannot be stopped and must be supported."
Asked if he would like the Olympic sports federations to come under COSR, Covaliu answered: "That's an option; I think we could be much more efficient. We would have a much closer control of what is happening. We can come up with the know-how we have in support of the federations, of the clubs, from the lowest to the highest level."
Covaliu, 45, a former Olympic, world and European fencing champion, on Friday received an honorary doctorate from the National Physical Education and Sports University. AGERPRES