Nadia Comăneci urges Romanian kids to try multiple sports at Cluj Sports Festival
Former Olympic gymnast Nadia Comăneci addressed about 2,000 attendees at a masterclass during the VII edition of the Sports Festival in Cluj‑Napoca (11‑14 June). She advised parents and children to let youngsters sample several sports – “two or three” – before focusing on a single discipline, emphasizing that the festival introduces participants to over 30 activities.
The multi‑day event attracted roughly 50,000 visitors each day, featuring Romanian sports icons such as tennis star Simona Halep, who held her official retirement ceremony at the festival, and former football star Ronaldinho, who performed a demonstration match the previous year. Comăneci also recalled her own early sporting experiences, from winning a tricycle race to earning the first perfect 10 in gymnastics at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Organisers highlighted the festival’s role in promoting active, healthy lifestyles for children and promoting talent discovery across a wide range of sports.