Between 25–28 May 2026, the “King Ferdinand I” Technical College in Timișoara hosted the 13th edition of the “Cup of the Nation’s Heroes” mini-football competition. Organized by the Timișoara Memorial of the Revolution, in partnership with the Timiș County School Inspectorate, the competition is dedicated to students from secondary and high school educational institutions in the municipality of Timișoara and Timiș County.
Held around Heroes’ Day, the event combines the spirit of sports competition with the promotion of civic values and respect for those who sacrificed themselves for freedom, independence, and national dignity. Through their participation in this competition, students are encouraged to honor the memory of the heroes and to discover the importance of knowing and preserving historical truth.
The competition began with the matches reserved for middle school students. In the first group, the participating teams were Secondary School No. 16, coordinated by teacher Virgil Sturza, Cărpiniș Secondary School, coordinated by teacher Simona Țăranu, and Checea Secondary School, coordinated by teacher Manuela Voicu. The team from Secondary School No. 16 qualified for the final.
In the second group, the participating teams were Mașloc Secondary School, coordinated by teacher Nova Drăghici, Bucovăț Secondary School, coordinated by teacher Radu Magăț, Remetea Mare Secondary School, coordinated by teacher Alin Militaru, Giarmata Secondary School, coordinated by teacher Ionela Cărăibăț, and the Nikolaus Lenau Theoretical High School, coached by teacher Harald Pinzhoffer. Following the matches played, the team from Nikolaus Lenau Theoretical High School qualified for the middle school category final.
As part of the high school competition, held on the third day, the first group included the “King Ferdinand I” Technological High School, coordinated by teacher Flavia-Ana Ionilă, the “Gheorghe Atanasiu” Special Technological High School, coordinated by teacher Silviu Teodorescu, and the “Ana Aslan” National College, coordinated by teacher Cosmin-Sava Lazici. The second group included the “Vlad Țepeș” Theoretical High School, coordinated by teacher Paul-Georgian Ivan, the second team of the “King Ferdinand I” Technological High School, and the Auto Technological High School, coordinated by teacher Maltiș Claudiu-Danteș. The high school category final was contested between the “Ana Aslan” National College and the “Vlad Țepeș” Theoretical High School.
On the final day of the competition, the finals took place. In the middle school category, Nikolaus Lenau Theoretical High School defeated Secondary School No. 16 with a score of 2–0, winning the edition’s trophy. In the high school category, Vlad Țepeș Theoretical High School secured a 4–1 victory against Ana Aslan National College.
The award ceremony took place in the presence of school inspector Mr. Flavius Năstor, who presented the trophies and prizes to the winners. The organizing committee included teachers Flavia-Ana Ionilă and Costel Balint from the Memorial, while the matches were officiated by the renowned referee Gheorghe Stănescu.
Individual awards:
Best goalkeeper – middle school: Alex Forman (Secondary School No. 16)
Best goalkeeper – high school: Caius Ciublea (Ana Aslan National College)
Best player – high school: Fabian Gaiță (Vlad Țepeș Theoretical High School)
Best player – middle school: Tomoniu Robert Herman (Nikolaus Lenau Theoretical High School)
Congratulations to all students, coordinating teachers, and organizers for their involvement, team spirit, and fair play! 
