Former Coaches of Romanian Gymnasts to Advise the Presidency

Octavian Bellu and Mariana Bitang, former coaches of the Romanian Olympic gymnasts, accepted yesterday to advise the Presidency on sports issues.

President Traian Basescu offered them the position. This ended rumors that the winning team of coaches will leave for China, to train the Olympic team there for the Olympic Games to take place in Beijing in 2008.

Adrian Stoica, the president of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, welcomed the newest choice for presidential advisers Basescu made, saying it "was great and would help development of all sports in Romania."

Bitang said she and Bellu were ready to start work as soon as possible and that their expertise would be used for assessing sports activities and for assisting the organization of major sports events in Romania.

Bitang and Bellu are also part of a project to set up a Romanian Academy for Gymnastics.

Ioan Dobrescu, secretary general of the Romanian Olympic Committee, said he was sure the two now presidential advisers would be able to work on this older project, in spite of their new position.

Translation by Anca Paduraru