Europe`s beach volleyball courts recently saw a remarkable display of young talent, with several nations celebrating significant victories at zonal age-group championships across the continent. What is particularly noteworthy is the strong performance of teams representing federations that are active beneficiaries of the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program. Across the WEVZA U20 Championships in Spain and the EEVZA U18 and U16 Championships in Latvia, gold medals, and a substantial haul of silver and bronze, were secured by athletes from the Netherlands, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Ukraine. This outcome serves as a compelling testament to the direct impact of strategic investment in player and coach development.
WEVZA U20 Beach Volleyball Championships in Lorca, Spain
The WEVZA U20 tournament in Lorca, Spain, showcased Dutch dominance in the age group. Both the women`s and men`s titles were claimed by teams from the Netherlands. Nigella Negenman & Esmee Radstake triumphed in the women`s competition, while Tom Sonneville & Bram van Der Wel secured the men`s crown. These victories are intrinsically linked to the significant support provided to the Netherlands Volleyball Federation (NEVOBO) through the FIVB Empowerment program, totaling over USD 217,600 specifically allocated for national beach volleyball coaching support. This funding facilitates training under experienced guidance, such as former European champion Michiel van der Kuip for the men`s pairs and Cypriot coach Antreas Savvidis for the women`s pairs.
Detailed results highlight the competitive nature of the event. Negenman & Radstake earned their gold with a comeback 2-1 victory over Germany`s Sophia Neuss & Clara Dressen. The men`s final saw Sonneville & Van Der Wel complete an undefeated run through the tournament, winning 2-1 against Italy`s Matteo Lurisci & Gabriel Marini Da Costa. The podiums also featured strong performances from teams representing Germany, Belgium, and Italy, underscoring the high level of competition among the 13 women`s and 12 men`s teams from seven nations that participated.
EEVZA U18 and U16 Beach Volleyball Championships in Cesis, Latvia
Further success for Empowerment-supported federations unfolded in Cesis, Latvia, at the EEVZA U18 and U16 Championships. The home nation, Latvia, secured two gold medals: Monika Mamaja & Alise Aleksane in the U18 women`s event and Milana Tina Aleksejeva & Karlina Berzina in the U16 women`s event. Estonia celebrated a U18 men`s title win with Armin Kender & Patrik Parijogi, while Lithuania claimed the U16 men`s gold courtesy of Tautvydas Galubickas & Rokas Lukosevicius. Importantly, teams from these three Baltic nations, alongside Ukraine, added five more medals (silver and bronze) across the age groups.
This widespread success across multiple age categories and genders within the EEVZA region directly correlates with the substantial FIVB Empowerment funding directed towards these federations. The Volleyball Federation of Latvia has received over USD 210,000 for coach support and equipment. The Estonian Volleyball Federation has benefited from USD 168,000 in coach support. The Lithuanian Volleyball Federation leads with a remarkable USD 477,000 allocated for coach support and additional funds for knowledge transfer. The Ukraine Volleyball Federation has also received ongoing significant support since 2022 as part of a Memorandum of Understanding, totaling USD 670,000 for both volleyball and beach volleyball activities.
The competition in Cesis was fierce. Latvia`s U18 women`s pair Mamaja & Aleksane won all their matches, culminating in a 2-0 final victory over Estonia`s Marta-Mia Ploomipuu & Hannemai Hanimagi. In the U18 men`s bracket, Estonia`s Kender & Parijogi also went undefeated, winning their final 2-0 against Latvia`s Tomass Silavs & Bruno Liepins. The U16 women`s final saw a thrilling 2-1 comeback win for Latvia`s Aleksejeva & Berzina against Ukraine`s Diana Avramenko & Vira Hudz, showcasing the impact of resilience. Lithuania`s U16 men`s champions, Galubickas & Lukosevicius, secured their gold with a decisive 2-0 win over Poland`s Wojciech Witkowski & Antoni Czarnecki. These results, hard-fought through numerous matches involving teams from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, underline the growing strength of youth beach volleyball in the region, significantly boosted by targeted development programs.
In conclusion, the recent European age-group beach volleyball championships clearly illustrate the tangible benefits of focused development initiatives. The successes achieved by federations supported by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program underscore the value of investing in coaching expertise and national team structures. These victories are not merely isolated wins but indicators of a promising future for beach volleyball in these nations, fueled by strategic support hitting its intended mark.
Rupert Caldwell