 Nyorai kuenderera mberi kwechikamu chino - Baba vakatanga kuita fencing paCSS Satu Mare pavakanga vava nemakore manomwe kuti vatevere tsoka dzemusikana wavakanga vachidanana naye. Akatanga kurovedzwa mufoil naEva Lenghel, ndokuzotevera muépée naAlexandru Csipler, mumwe wevakatanga chikoro cheSatmarean chetsimba. Akakunda mukombe wake wokutanga wenyika mumakwikwi eepée, muboka revana vaduku, paakanga ava nemakore 15. Akatora nzvimbo yechina mu1986 Junior World Championship muStuttgart uye akawana mukombe wake wekutanga mukuru weRomania aine makore gumi nemanomwe. Uyu mugumisiro wakanaka unomuita kuti asarudzwe muchikwata chevakuru chenyika, icho chaakatora chikamu mu 1987 World ChampionshipsMuSofia. Pop akakwanisa kupinda muMitambo yeOlympic yeZhizha ya1992 muBarcelona. Akakundwa naRoberto Lazzarini wokuBrazil munharaunda yechipiri uye akapedza 25th. Mumutambo wechikwata Romania yakaiswa pachinzvimbo chegumi neimwe. 