INITIATION IN 26 SPORTS
The festival kicked off on June 1st, Children’s Day, with the festival area filled with kids enjoying movement, initiation zones, fun games along Stadium Alley, and interactive sessions on the Sports Festival stage. Over 15,000 children tried various sports for free, including aikido, badminton, baseball, basketball, kayaking, cross-training, dance, climbing, fitness, football, gymnastics, golf, handball, judo, kyokushin, mountain biking, orienteering, rugby, roundnet, cross-country skiing, fencing, chess, tennis, teqball, table tennis, and volleyball. They learned the rules from experienced coaches and athletes, and many completed the full circuit of all 26 sports featured at the festival.
SURVIVOR CHALLENGE
A brand-new attraction at Sports Festival, the Survivor Challenge by ProTV, brought 500 participants onto a course that perfectly blended the adrenaline and suspense of the world’s toughest reality show, alongside an enthusiastic crowd of spectators. Competitors tested their endurance and strength, competing for one of two teams: Team Famous and Team Warriors. At Sports Festival, the Warriors claimed victory with a score of 113-93. In addition to the competition, participants and fans had the chance to meet and see some of the most popular Survivor România stars in action: Dan Ursa (2023 winner), Alex Delea (2022 winner), Ștefania Stănilă (6th place in Survivor România 2023 – Team Famous), and Alin Chirilă (8th place in Survivor România 2023 – Team Warriors). The Survivor România section of the festival was powered by PRO TV and organized with support from the Romanian Obstacle Sports Federation and the Cluj City Hall & Local Council.
SPORTS TALKS & MASTERCLASS WITH ANA MARIA BRÂNZĂ
For four days, festival-goers attended inspiring talks from top speakers at Sports Talks, moderated by Mihnea Măruță and Cristian Mândru. Fans had the chance to meet and listen to Patrick Ciorcilă, Mihai Covaliu, Daniel David, Ștefan Odea, Ioan Ovidiu Sabău, Elisabeta Lipă, Viswanathan Anand & Ivan Sokolov, Andrei Vochin, Gheorghe Popescu, Dani Oțil, Mihai Silvășan, Corina Caragea, Mirel Alexa, Ana Bogdan, Alexandru Cândea, Camelia Potec, Miruna Moroșanu, Paul Chetreanu, Tudor Giurgiu, Horia Tecău, Andrei Angelescu, Larisa Iordache, Simona Amânar, and Simone Tempestini. The theme for this year’s discussions was: “Failure is an important part of the road to success.”
Additionally, a special masterclass for sports professionals was held: “Take care of the champion within you“, led by Olympic fencing champion Ana Maria Brânză.
SUPERHERO RUN
The Superhero Run was another event that broke records, with last-minute registrations pouring in. On Sunday, June 4th, over 1,500 runners took to the starting line to support this year’s charitable cause: the renovation of the Dominic Stanca Obstetrics-Gynecology Clinic in Cluj-Napoca. The initiative was led by Codin Maticiuc through the Metropolis Foundation. The Superhero Run featured two race categories: OPEN 10K (men/women) and OPEN 5K (men/women). While we celebrated the winners, every participant was a superhero for a day. Thank you all!
SPORTS COMPETITIONS
No Sports Festival would be complete without competitions for both amateur and professional athletes. Thousands participated in running, beach volleyball, football, rugby, and chess tournaments. The Superhero Run kicked off on Sunday from Cluj Arena. The Beach Volley Super Open (June 3-4) welcomed 24 teams in the men’s amateur category and 16 in the women’s amateur category. The football tournament brought youth clubs from across Romania to Cluj-Napoca, competing in seven age categories (Under-14). The final stage of the U14 Regional Rugby Championship and the National Chess Competition for Kids also took place at the festival, alongside an incredible simultaneous chess exhibition with grandmaster Viswanathan Anand.
FOOTBALL SHOWCASE: All Stars Romania vs. Galatasaray Legends
The biggest football event of the year took place at Sports Festival, gathering 16,300 football fans at Cluj Arena. All Stars Romania and Galatasaray Legends put on an unforgettable match, reviving legendary moments from international football history. Gheorghe Hagi and Gică Popescu, two icons who made history for both teams, took the field alongside legendary players such as Brazilian star Mario Jardel. Adrian Mutu scored the opening goal, and the match ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw.
All Stars Romania lineup: Gheorghe Hagi, Gică Popescu, Adrian Ilie, Adrian Mutu, Florin Răducioiu, Ciprian Marica, Ionel Ganea, Marius Niculae, Ioan Ovidiu Sabău, Ionuț Lupescu, Răzvan Raț, Gheorghe Mihali, Iulian Filipescu, Bănel Nicoliță, Constantin Gâlcă, Răzvan Prodan (son of the late Didi Prodan), Cristian Dulca, Bogdan Stelea, Florin Prunea, Tibor Selymes.
Galatasaray Legends lineup: Mario Jardel, Bülent Korkmaz, Hakan Unsal, Ümit Davala, Ergun Penbe, Fatih Akyel, Kerem İnan, Suat Kaya, Capone (Carlos Alberto de Oliveira), Ayhan Akman, Ümit Karan, Hasan Kabze, Cihan Haspolatlı, Faruk Atalay.
At halftime, Hagi, Popescu, Adrian Ilie, and Filipescu switched jerseys to play for Galatasaray Legends. This exhibition match also had a charitable cause, as Galatasaray’s earnings from participating in the festival were donated to relief organizations aiding victims of the devastating earthquake in Turkey this year.
ACROBATIC SHOWS & SPORTS CLASSES
At Sports Festival, movement met entertainment. The festival’s main stage, set between BT Arena and Cluj Arena, hosted daily fitness sessions including zumba, street dance, yoga, fitness, mobility training, and more.
ACROBATS, SPECIAL GUESTS & CONCERTS
In the evenings, the festival came alive with performances and music. DJ Project kicked off the festival on Thursday. Friday featured an extraordinary Blindfolded Human Chess Game, starring grandmasters Viswanathan Anand and Ivan Sokolov. On Saturday, kids enjoyed the play Colțișor the Educator Dragon and a vibrant performance by Gașca Zurli, followed by the Retro Fantesia Party powered by UNTOLD Festival. Sunday wrapped up with live music from David Todoran & The Six Martini Orchestra, Ana Maria Mărgean (finalist on America’s Got Talent – All World Superstars), and stunning acrobatic, contortion, zumba, and street dance acts.
Yes, Sports Festival is Romania’s largest multi-sport event, and it keeps growing every year. See you in 2024! 🎉
#KeepPlaying
