The Netherlands beat Romania 24:20 on Sunday, December 16, in the bronze-medal match of the 2018 European Women’s Handball Championship in France. Thus, Romania ended the Championship on the fourth place while the Dutch side took home the bronze.

Hosts France have won their first European title on Sunday, after beating Russia 24:21.

Romania’s national women’s handball team qualified to the semifinals of the European Championship on December 12, despite a 29-31 bitter defeat against arch-rivals Hungary. However, the Romanian team lost its star player during that match, as Cristina Neagu suffered a serious knee injury. In the semifinals, Romania lost to Russia 22-28 (15-16).

Romania managed to win a medal at the European Women’s Handball Championship in 2010, when it got the bronze. At the previous edition of the event in 2016, the Romanian national team ranked fifth.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Fra2018.ehf-euro.com; photo credit: Uros Hocevar / kolektiff)