At the Beach Pro Tour Future-category tournament held in Budapest, Hungary, Ukrainian beach volleyball masters delivered an outstanding performance, claiming two medals of different caliber. All three men's pairs representing Ukraine at the competition confidently navigated the early stages and advanced to the quarterfinals, a result that in itself reflected the high level of preparation of the national team. A detailed report on the Ukrainian volleyball players' performance has been published on the Sport RBC.UA portal.
Quarterfinals: three pairs, three scenarios
In the quarterfinal stage, Serhiy Popov and Ilya Tyurin recorded a convincing victory over the home Hungarian pair, winning without dropping a single set (2:0). In a far more intense match, Ivan and Richard Likhatskyi defeated the Swedish duo, taking the match in three sets (2:1). The third Ukrainian pair — Dmytro Kozii and Sviatoslav Nahorny — lost to the Bulgarian volleyball players and finished their run in fifth place.
A Ukrainian derby in the semifinals
The draw in the semifinals pitted two Ukrainian teams against each other in the match for a place in the final. The fiercely contested three-set battle ended in a victory for the Likhatskyi brothers (2:1), thereby securing their spot in the tournament's main match. For Popov and Tyurin, this match became the starting point for the fight for the bronze medals.
Gold and a revenge in the final
In the final, Ivan and Richard Likhatskyi faced the Bulgarian duo that had earlier stopped Kozii and Nahorny in the quarterfinals. The Ukrainian brothers took revenge for their compatriots' defeat and claimed the overall victory, winning the tournament's gold medals. Notably, for the Likhatskyi brothers these are the first gold medals of their career on the prestigious Beach Pro Tour series, making this success truly historic for Ukrainian beach volleyball.
Bronze for the debutant
In the match for third place, Popov and Tyurin confidently defeated the Austrian duo, claiming the bronze medals. This result held particular significance for Ilya Tyurin, for whom the Budapest tournament marked his debut on the international stage. Winning bronze right at his first major start in his career is a notable result that could serve as a springboard for the athlete's further growth.
The women's draw and the season context
In the women's draw, Ukraine was represented by sisters Inna and Iryna Mahno. The pair stopped at the quarterfinal stage and finished their run in fifth place. It is worth noting that ahead of the summer season, the Ukrainian national volleyball team has already announced its squad for the 2026 European Championship, indicating active preparation by the national team for the year's key tournaments.
