Qatar’s dynamic beach volleyball duo, Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, kicked off the 2025 Beach Pro Tour with a commanding gold medal performance at the Xiamen Challenge. Demonstrating exceptional form, they lost only a single set in six matches, signaling a strong start to their Olympic qualification campaign.
In the final, the top-seeded Cherif and Ahmed delivered a dominant 2-0 victory (21-14, 21-14) over Swiss qualifiers Marco Krattiger and Leo Dillier. This triumph marks their first tour gold since 2022 and increases their partnership’s total medal count to eight:
- 3 gold
- 3 silver
- 2 bronze
The Swiss duo Krattiger and Dillier, who were seeded 24th in the draw, made headlines with their breakthrough showing. Rising from the qualifiers all the way to the final, they earned silver—a strong follow-up to their earlier podium appearance at the Valencia Futures.
In the battle for bronze, France’s Teo Rotar and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat defeated Norway’s Markus Mol and Adrian Mol in straight sets (21-11, 21-12). Rotar contributed significantly with eight kill blocks, helping the French pair claim their inaugural podium finish as a team on the tour.
The path to the finals included intense semifinal clashes. Cherif and Ahmed squeezed by the Norwegian team in a tight 2-1 match, while Krattiger and Dillier earned their spot with a straight-set victory over the French.
The Xiamen Challenge offered an early look at team chemistry and performance as the 2025 season gains momentum. With Olympic qualification points in play, such early results are crucial in shaping the competitive landscape moving forward.
For more details, visit the official Beach Pro Tour website at Volleyball World.
