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Queen of Champions
How beautifully did this name fit its talented
owner, Angelica (Edelstein) Rozeanu; either it has
the authentic air of regal quality or we are
conditioned to recognizing the name as that of the
“The Queen of Table Tennis.” Angelica Rozeanu is
unique and will rank among the “greats” of the table
tennis world.
The young Angelica Edelstein was an eager devotee of
all sports, tennis, cycling and swimming being her
first favorites. Then, at the age of 12, she was
introduced to table tennis, and immediately she
said, “I preferred table tennis or perhaps, if you
like, table tennis preferred me.” ...More
The beginning
Angelica Edelstein was born in Bucharest,
Romania, on October 15, 1921 to a bourgeois
family. Angelica’s brother, Gaston, was the
one who taught her how to play table tennis.
She became sick with scarlet fever at the
age of 8-½, and while in convalescence, her
brother came home with bats, balls and a net
to entertain her (he was 7-½ years older
than her). After a while, he bought a
regulation table that they placed in a large
big empty room and there she started to
play. Together with a few girlfriends from
school, she joined the Jewish Aurora Sports
Club in Bucharest where she excelled in most
sports areas, but she chose to specialize in
table tennis....More
First won National Championship
Angelica first won the Romanian Championship
in 1936 in Bucharest (when she was only 14-½
years old) and held it, unrivalled, until
1957 (except for the period between
1940-1944, when she was banned in Romania to
even enter into a sports gymnasium.
In 1937 at the World Championships in Baden
bei Wien, she lost a very close match to
Trude Pritzi, who advanced to the finals
with Aarons. Both of them were disqualified
(there was no world champion that year).
Angelica came in 3rd place in
Mixed Doubles together with Cibi Eros.
In 1939, she lost in Cairo to Depetrisova,
who won the title (in five sets, 22-20 with
a net-dribbler). She was in the Women’s
Doubles finals with Sari Szasz and finished
third in the team event. After this there
was a break in her table tennis career; Jews
weren’t allowed in public places (just when
she turned 18)...More
International performance
In 1949-1950, the new Rozeanu emerged at
Budapest: swift as a dragonfly, graceful as
a ballerina, impregnable in defense and with
the lightning sting of a hornet in attack.
Her off-court charm was enhanced, but on the
court she was as devastating as a tigress.
There was no stopping her winning the World
Singles title and sweeping the Romanian team
to victory in the Corbillon Cup. The next
year in Vienna, she was even better,
repeating the performance and adding the
Mixed Doubles title. And again, the World
singles at Bombay in 1951-1952, and yet
again, supremely triumphant in Bucharest in
1952-1953, and with such superb artistry
against the best in the world that we are
moved in wonder how a woman who could have
retired in honor before the War could make a
comeback in such magnificent achievements...More
Immigration to Israel
The beginnings in Israel were difficult: not knowing
the language, without money without friends. But
this did not stop Angelica from winning the Israeli
Championship between the years 1960-1962, and the
Maccabiah Games Table Tennis Championship in 1960
and 1961. She trained the national team and
instructed courses for table tennis coaches in the
Wingate Institute.
Angelica is a member in the International Jewish
Sports Hall of Fame. She was also one of the
founders of the Swaythling Club, and for many years
served as a member of management. The Club included
over 300 veteran players who had participated in the
international table tennis championships...More
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