The recent Beach Pro Tour Bhubaneswar Challenge in India marked the start of the 2026 season's first Challenge event, featuring an impressive gathering of 49 teams from 23 countries. Both Belgium and the USA celebrated great success by capturing the gold medals in this major international beach volleyball competition.

In the men's category, the Belgian duo of Joppe Van Langendonck and Kyan Vercauteren claimed their first Challenge gold medal with a victory over Czech players Jakub Sepka and Matyas Dzavoronok in the finals. The bronze was awarded to Eylon Elazar and Kevin Cuzmiciov from Israel.

On the women's side, Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig from the USA soared to victory, defeating Japan's Asami Shiba and Reika Murakami, who took the silver. Another American team, consisting of Sara Hughes and Allysa Batenhorst, completed the podium with a bronze medal.

This competition highlighted the impressive performances of teams supported by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment funding, which included teams from Belgium, Israel, and Japan. As beach volleyball continues to grow in popularity worldwide, tournaments such as the Bhubaneswar Challenge underscore the increasing importance of development programs and international events. The Beach Pro Tour will now progress to Tlaxcala, Mexico, adding to the excitement of the international beach volleyball season.

For more information, visit the source.