Romanian handball star Cristina Neagu led the national team to another victory at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark, 31 to 22 against Poland, by scoring 10 goals in the match on Sunday afternoon.

Romania thus won the bronze medal, their first medal at a World Championship in ten years, while Neagu was nominated as the tournament’s most valuable player.

The man who has prepared Romania’s team for this performance is Swede Tomas Ryde, who took over as coach in mid-March this year. In the past, he has also coached Sweden’s women’s handball team twice, and has reached international glory with Danish handball team Viborg, which he led to an EHF Champions League title in 2006.

Romanian handball fans believe that Ryde has managed to change the team’s mentality and to give the players more confidence on court. He must have done something good, given that Romania managed to pull out of a series of mediocre results in the past four years and to get to the World Championship’s semifinals after thrilling victories against reigning champions Brazil and hosts Denmark.

Romania was just one goal away from the final in the semifinal match against European champions Norway, a team that has won almost every big international competition in recent years. However, Romania lost to Norway after overtime, and the Nordic team went to the final, and then won their third world champions title after a 31 to 23 victory against the Netherlands.

However, Romania fought until the end and got the bronze medal against Poland, a team who also managed to surprise everyone when they defeated Russia, one of the tournament’s favorites. Poland are also coached by a Nordic, Dane Kim Rasmussen, who also coaches Romania’s champions CSM Bucuresti.

Romania’s performance at the World Championship was also highly influenced by their star player Cristina Neagu (video), who was decisive in the key matches. Neagu was Romania’s top scorer, with 63 goals out of the team’s total 270 goals at the World Championship. She was selected in the tournament’s all-star team. Romania’s Valentina Elisei was also selected in the tournament’s best seven.

Romania’s next challenge is to secure their presence at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

editor@romania-insider.com