The Qatari Olympians topped the podium in their seventh time playing together in the Swiss Alps.
Qatari Olympic medalists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan claimed their second title of the current Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour season, securing victory at the esteemed Elite tournament in Gstaad this Sunday.
This marks the first time the Qatari pair has stood atop the podium in the Swiss Alps. Joining them were silver medalists Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson from Sweden, and bronze medalists Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot from the Netherlands.
In the gold medal match in Gstaad, Cherif and Ahmed defeated Hölting Nilsson and Andersson in a closely contested two-set encounter (21-19, 22-20). The Swedish pair mounted a significant comeback in the second set, recovering from a 20-15 deficit to save five match points and level the score at 20-20. However, Ahmed scored two consecutive points to seal the win for the Qatari duo.
“They had been playing very well since the tournament started,” Cherif commented. “So we were ready for everything. Their comeback in the second set was crazy, but we knew they were able to do it. There are no easy matches at this level and you need to expect anything.”
Cherif and Ahmed began their 2025 season slightly later after winning bronze at the previous year`s Beach Pro Tour Finals. Their first Beach Pro Tour appearance this season was in May, where they won gold at the Xiamen Challenge. They later finished fifth at the Ostrava Elite event in June.
This victory in Gstaad came on their seventh attempt playing together in the Swiss location, having first competed there in 2018.
“We need to thank the fans here in Gstaad,” Cherif added. “Since 2021, every time we play here, it doesn’t matter who’s on the other side of the net, they always support us.”
Boermans and de Groot take bronze
In the match for the bronze medal, Boermans and de Groot of the Netherlands triumphed over Brazilian Olympians André Loyola and George Wanderley in a tie-breaker (21-23, 21-17, 15-10) to secure third place. This was only the second time the Dutch pair competed together in Gstaad; they won gold in their first appearance in 2021.
The bronze medal also served as a birthday gift for de Groot, who turned 25 on the sand in the Swiss Alps.
“Of course, I would prefer to play in the final, but to be able to compete on Sunday, on my birthday, it’s really special,” de Groot said. “The venue is incredible here, and to win bronze against a really strong Brazilian team is amazing.”
Following the event in Gstaad, the next Elite tournament on the Beach Pro Tour calendar is scheduled for Montréal, Canada, from August 13-17.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick