The Universitatea Națională de Educație Fizică și Sport (UNEFS), is one of the highest-profile
higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...
institutions in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
, and was founded on 1 December 1922, in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
. It was the tenth institution of its kind in the world and the fifth in Europe.
UNEFS is one of the major
physical education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...
and sport institutions in Eastern Europe, and the degrees are awarded by the Ministry of National Education, and are recognised by other countries with whom bilateral agreements have been signed.
Alumni
File:Nadia Comăneci from acrofan.jpg,
Nadia Comăneci
Nadia Elena Comăneci Conner (born November 12, 1961) is a Romanian retired gymnast and a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events. In 1976, at the age of 14, Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 ...
Ion Țiriac
Ion Țiriac (; born 9 May 1939), also known as the "Brașov Bulldozer", is a Romanian businessman and former professional tennis and ice hockey player. He has been president of the Romanian Tennis Federation.
A former singles top 10 player on ...
, tennis player and business magnate
File:Ivan Patzaichin 1990cr.jpg,
Ivan Patzaichin
Ivan Patzaichin (; 26 November 1949 – 5 September 2021) was a Romanian canoe racing coach and sprint canoeist. He took part in all major competitions between 1968 and 1984, including five consecutive Olympics, and won seven Olympic and 22 wor ...
, canoe racing icon
File:Lansarea candidaturii Gabrielei Szabo pentru Camera Deputatilor, Voluntari - 04.05 (43) (14271151217) (cropped).jpg,
Gabriela Szabo
Gabriela Szabo (, hu, Szabó Gabriella; born 14 November 1975) is a retired Romanian runner. She competed in the 1500 m and 5000 m events at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal.
Szabo is a three-time world c ...
, runner, politician and the current CSM București president
File:Octavian Bellu 2014 Romania stampsheet.jpg,
Octavian Bellu
Octavian Ioan Atanase Bellu (; born 17 February 1951) is the current head of the Romanian national women's artistic gymnastics team.
He was the main coach, with interruptions, from 1990 to 2005Laura Badea – fencer, coach and sport administrator
*
Mariana Bitang
Mariana Bitang (born August 3, 1962, in Râmnicu Sărat) is a coach for the Romanian national women's artistic gymnastics team. Along with her partner, Octavian Bellu, she helped Romania win five consecutive team gold medals at the World Champ ...
– gymnastics coach and political counselor
* Dan Grecu – gymnast and coach
*
Marius Urzică
Marius Daniel Urzică (born 30 September 1975 in Toplița, Romania) is a Romanian gymnast. Urzică is an Olympic champion, a three-time world champion and a three-time European champion on pommel horse. He competed at three Olympic Games, medali ...
– gymnast and coach
*
Marian Drăgulescu
Marian Drăgulescu (born 18 December 1980 in Bucharest) is a former Romanian artistic gymnast. During his senior gymnastics career he won 31 medals at Olympic Games at World and European Championships, of which eight are gold medals at the World ...
– gymnast
*
Iolanda Balaș
Iolanda Balaș (, hu, Balázs Jolán, later ''Balázs-Sőtér Jolán''; 12 December 1936 – 11 March 2016) was a Romanian athlete, an Olympic champion and former world record holder in the high jump. She was the first Romanian woman to win an ...
– athlete, high jumper, and former president of the
Romanian Athletics Federation
The Romanian Athletics Federation (Romanian: ''Federația Română de Atletism'') is the Romanian national sporting authority which coordinates athletics activity.
History
Athletics first appeared in Romania at the end of the 19th century. The ...
and IAAF commissioner
* Anișoara Cușmir – athlete, long jumper, and coach
* Doina Melinte – athlete, runner, and former vice president of the
Romanian Anti-Doping Agency Romanian Anti-Doping Agency, established in 2005, is the Romanian National Anti-Doping Agency (''Agenţia Naţională Anti-Doping''/ANAD), affiliated to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The institution is subordinated to the Government of Romani ...
Marioara Popescu
Marioara Popescu (later Ciobanu, born 9 November 1962) is a retired Romanian rower. She competed at the 1984, 1988 and 1996 Olympics and won gold medals in 1984 and 1996. At the world championships she won seven medals between 1983 and 2000, inc ...
– rower
*
Nicolae Țaga
Nicolaie Taga (born 12 April 1967) is a retired Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to ...
– rower
* Elisabeta Lipă – most decorated rower in the history of the Olympics, president of the Romanian Rowing Federation, and former president of CS Dinamo București and politician
*
Toma Simionov
Toma Simionov (born 30 October 1955) is a retired Romanian sprint canoer, who competed in doubles together with his elder brother Gheorghe and later with Ivan Patzaichin. He won three Olympic medals with two gold (1980 and 1984) and one silver ( ...
– sprint canoer
*
Vasile Pușcașu
Vasile Puşcaşu (born 2 May 1956) is a retired heavyweight freestyle wrestler from Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, So ...
– Greco-Roman wrestler
* Ion Draica – Greco-Roman wrestler, businessperson, and former politician, president of Romanian Federation of Wrestling and SSC Farul Constanța president
*
Gheorghe Berceanu
Gheorghe Berceanu (28 December 1949 – 30 August 2022) was a Romanian light-flyweight Greco-Roman wrestler. He won the world title in 1969 and 1972, the European title in 1970, 1972, and 1973, and an Olympic gold medal in 1972 in Munich and a s ...
– Greco-Roman wrestler and coach
*
Mihaela Buzărnescu
Mihaela Buzărnescu (born 4 May 1988) is a Romanian professional tennis player.
She has a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 20, achieved on 6 August 2018. Her best doubles ranking of world No. 24, she reached on 22 October 2018. She has ...
– tennis player
* Ion Motroc - Former Professional football player