Eduard Novak: If we invest in some priority sports and not in 70, then we will have results

Eduard Novak, the nominee for the post of Minister of Sports, said on Wednesday that he had received a favorable opinion from the Joint Committees for Education, Science, Youth and Sport in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, that the investments from the state budget must be channeled on some priority sports, and not on 70 disciplines as it is happening at the moment, in order for Romania to be able to have important results in the international competitions, agerpres reports.

"In the other countries, a system is practiced in which 6-8 sports are a priority. This is what we need to change, that is why we have started to draft the National Strategy for Sports. Because we want to reach a formula that is as safe and simple as possible and I am referring here to the grassroots sports, and to performance sports, and to mass sports. (...) Because the truth is that we are not able to support 70 disciplines at the moment," he told lawmakers.

Novak explained that he wants to implement a new type of financing for sports, following the model of Hungary.

Paralympic cycling champion, Novak mentioned that in the near future the construction works of a velodrome in Craiova will start.

"Unfortunately, the velodrome in Bucharest, which is 400 m long, is in disrepair and cannot be used to prepare for participation in the Olympic Games. That was the reason why I prepared in Bulgaria. But this year I am glad that the local authorities in Craiova have taken the initiative and we are already close to finalizing the talks to start the construction of an Olympic velodrome there", he also stated.