Portorož crowns Czechia and Israel as U20 champions

The final day of the CEV U20 Beach Volleyball European Championships 2025 First-round Qualifier in Portorož showcased thrilling matches and strong performances, with Czechia winning the men’s tournament and Israel taking gold in the women’s competition.

Men’s tournament: Czech duo takes the title

Czech pair Pavlusek/Votava emerged as champions after defeating top-seeded Tari/Veress from Hungary in a dramatic three-set final (19-21, 21-17, 15-7). Earlier in the day, they reached the final by edging out Hungary’s second-seeded duo Niemeier/Sárik-Veress 2-1 (24-26, 21-19, 15-9).

Austria’s Boyd/Sponer claimed the bronze medal after a forfeit from Niemeier/Sárik-Veress in the third-place match.

Final podium – Men’s:

• 1st place: Pavlusek/Votava (Czechia)
• 2nd place: Tari/Veress (Hungary)
• 3rd place: Boyd/Sponer (Austria)

Notable quarterfinal performances came from Semansky/Dzurik (Slovakia), Hameiri/Day (Israel), Goldshmid Fisher/Hidekel Yari (Israel), and Hohenauer/Poinstingl (Austria).

Women’s tournament: Israel cruises to gold

In the women’s final, Israel’s Gonzalez/Danenberg delivered a confident performance to beat Austria’s Hammarberg/Hofstetter in straight sets (21-15, 21-13). Earlier in the semifinals, the Israeli team had to fight back after losing the first set to Slovenia’s Ferlež/Pangerc, eventually winning 2-1 (11-21, 21-12, 15-13).

The Slovenian duo recovered well and secured the bronze medal with a 2-0 win over Zolnai/Munkácsi of Hungary (21-19, 21-18).

Final podium – Women’s:

• 1st place: Gonzalez/Danenberg (Israel)
• 2nd place: Hammarberg/Hofstetter (Austria)
• 3rd place: Ferlež/Pangerc (Slovenia)

Quarterfinalists included Maor/Lavie (Israel), Blatnik/Kolmanic (Slovenia), Ioannou/Christoforou (Cyprus), and Zierler/Lippitsch (Austria).

With both Czech and Israeli teams standing at the top of the podium, the Portorož qualifier highlighted the emerging talent and competitive spirit of Europe’s rising beach volleyball stars. The journey toward the 2025 U20 European Championships continues.