"It is a national treasure, and its place is even among the Hungaricums," said Sándor Tamás, President of the Kovászna (Covasna) County Council, who submitted the proposal.Continue reading
The Romanian sports press described the singing of the Szekler anthem by the Hungarian players of the Romanian national team together with the Hungarian national team as scandalous. It was in front of Hungarian fans on Sunday after the two teams’ match on the final day of the Division I/A World Championship in Ljubljana, Index reported.
Alexandru Hălăucă, President of the Romanian Ice Hockey Federation, announced that he will urgently convene the organization’s executive body to investigate footage of members of the Romanian national team of Hungarian nationality singing the Szekler anthem with members of the Hungarian national team and Hungarian fans at the end of the 4-2 Hungarian win in a match without stakes.
Romanian Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Sorin Grindeanu, who is also the former Romanian Social Democrat Prime Minister, has called the action of the Hungarian team members of the Romanian national team singing the “so-called Szekler anthem” in the Romanian national jersey “a disgrace.” He said it was a sign of disrespect to Romania and Romanians. He asked the national association and the sports minister, Eduard Novák, to punish the players.
If you don’t respect Romania, you have no business wearing a red-yellow-blue jersey!”
he said.
The Romanian press also criticized Barna Tánczos, the Romanian Minister of Environment and former president of the Romanian Hockey Federation, who was seated in the Hungarian section of the stands. He said later that there were other Romanian fans watching the match from the Hungarian stands, and a Romanian family a few meters away, all wearing the Romanian national team jersey. He added that he was wearing the jersey of his favorite team, the Romanian champion Sports Club of Kisjenő (Chișinău).
It was already decided before Sunday’s game that the Romanian team would finish fifth in Ljubljana and be eliminated from Division I/B, while the Hungarian team finished second and will play in the World Elite next year.
Source: Index
Featured image via Dávid Vörös/Hungarian Ice Hockey’s Facebook page