KIIT Hosts Thrilling Second Day of FIVB Beach Pro Tour Challenge 2026; Global Teams Advance to Knockout Stage
Bhubaneswar, March 6: The FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge 2026 at KIIT Deemed to be University continued with exciting matches on Thursday, drawing strong performances from international teams as the tournament progressed towards the Round of 16 stage. The event, being hosted at the Dutee Chand Athletic Stadium in Bhubaneswar, has brought together elite beach volleyball athletes from across the world.
Several high-intensity matches were played during the day in the men’s main draw. The Czech pair Sepka/Dzavoronok defeated Kozii/Bublyk of Ukraine in straight sets 21–16, 22–20 to advance further in the competition. In another closely contested match, Cory/Bradford of the USA overcame Nemec/Petruf of Slovakia with a thrilling 2–0 win (24–22, 27–25). Denmark’s Brinck/Houmann continued their impressive run by defeating Elazar/Cuzmiciov of Israel 21–18, 21–19.
England’s Bialokoz/Batrane staged a remarkable comeback to beat Australia’s Merritt/Walker 2–1 (14–21, 21–14, 15–12), while Norway’s Ringøen/Aas secured a solid 2–0 victory over Moiseiev/Savvin of Ukraine. The Czech duo Semerad/Stocek also progressed with a convincing straight-set win against Ukkelberg/Owen of the USA.
Among the Indian teams, Mohan/Rahul registered a notable victory against Møllgaard/Abell of Denmark, with the Danish pair forced to retire due to injury. However, other Indian combinations faced tough opposition. Mahasim/Prajna went down to Canada’s de Greeff/Gannett, while Abithan/Udaya lost to Lithuania’s Rumsevicius/Palubinskas in straight sets.
In the Round of 24 matches, several strong performances shaped the knockout lineup. Canada’s de Greeff/Gannett defeated Moiseiev/Savvin (Ukraine) 2–1, while Ukkelberg/Owen (USA) secured a dominant win against India’s Mohan/Rahul. Spain’s Nijkamp/Viera pushed Slovakia’s Nemec/Petruf but eventually lost in a tight three-set battle. Israel’s Elazar/Cuzmiciov also advanced after defeating Basey/Hurst of the USA in another three-set thriller.
Ukraine’s Kozii/Bublyk defeated India’s Barath/Rajesh, while Latvia’s Bulgacs/Graudins overcame Abithan/Udaya to secure their place in the next round. Australia’s Merritt/Walker bounced back strongly to defeat Germany’s Ludwig/Fiedler, and Turkey’s Özdemir/Kuru advanced with a straight-set win over Norway’s Klungsøyr/Pedersen.
With the completion of these matches, the tournament now moves into the Round of 16, where top international teams will compete for a place in the quarterfinals scheduled later in the championship. The competition continues to witness high-quality beach volleyball action, further strengthening Bhubaneswar’s growing reputation as a global sporting destination.
Prof. (Dr.) Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT, KISS and KIMS, congratulated all the match winners and extended his best wishes to the teams for their upcoming matches in the tournament. He appreciated the spirit, determination and high level of competition displayed by the athletes from across the world. The participating players and officials expressed their sincere gratitude to Prof. Samanta for his warm hospitality and constant support. They particularly appreciated the excellent accommodation, quality food arrangements and the world-class sports infrastructure provided at KIIT University, which have ensured a comfortable and professional environment for the successful conduct of the championship.
The FIVB Beach Pro Tour Challenge 2026 will continue at KIIT University until March 8, with the semifinals and finals expected to draw large crowds and global attention.
