The outburst from Romania's BJK Cup captain: "Some players only join the national team when the situation suits them"

Adrien Guyot

le 05/04/2025 à 10h10

2 min to read

Amariei Begu Bogdan Bulgaru Cirstea Craciun Cristian Gae Ruse Tecau Todoni

In the coming days, the focus shifts to the 2025 BJK Cup qualifiers. In the main group, eighteen nations divided into pools of three teams will compete for a spot in the Final 8.

In Group A, Romania is heading to Tokyo to face Japan and Canada. Horia Tecau, captain of Romania’s BJK Cup team and a former professional player from 2003 to 2021, took the opportunity to send a message to some of his players during a press conference.

For these two matches, Tecau has called up Anca Todoni (world No. 83), Miriam Bulgaru (No. 212), Georgia Craciun (No. 371), Ilinca Amariei (No. 448), and Mara Gae (No. 1078).

However, Romania’s top players—those in or very close to the top 100, such as Jaqueline Cristian, Ana Bogdan, Sorana Cirstea, Irina-Camelia Begu, and Elena-Gabriela Ruse—are absent.

"This is a special competition, and we know surprises can happen. This team, with Anca Todoni as our leader, is young but full of energy and enthusiasm. The players here play tennis with great passion and will be our strength in these two matches.

We know this is a situation where, you know, some players sometimes choose not to participate in national team matches. We’re not the only country where this happens. But I’d like all players to respond positively when called up for these matches.

This is a topic we need to address. I don’t like this approach, because some players only join the national team when it suits them. When I was a player, I wanted to be part of the team no matter what.

These matches were both valuable experiences and a chance to represent your country with pride. Feeling the energy of Romanian fans was something powerful. That’s why I fulfilled my dream by playing for Romania. I know what it means," he explained to the media outlet Golazo.