Japanese duo Ren and Non Matsumoto, benefiting from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment support, clinched their maiden gold medal on the Beach Pro Tour at the Qidong Futures event. The women`s podium also featured Stefania Kun and Lilla Villam of Hungary in second place, and Quemile Vieira de Souza with Emanuely Pereira Cardoso (Manu) from Brazil securing the bronze.
In the men`s tournament, another FIVB Empowerment supported pair, Frederick Bialokoz and Issa Batrane from England, successfully navigated the qualification rounds to earn a bronze medal. The top spot went to Belgium`s Kyan Vercauteren and Joppe Van Langendonck, with Brazil`s Mateus Rodrigues (Manaus) and Vilsomar Brito finishing as silver medalists.
Women`s Tournament Highlights
The Japan Volleyball Association`s beach volleyball program has received USD 84,000 in coach funding through FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, enabling their national teams to train with American coach Steve Anderson. Second seeds Ren and Non demonstrated dominant form, reaching the women`s final without losing a single set. They defeated ninth seeds Quemile and Manu 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) in the semifinal.
Their gold medal match against third seeds Kun and Villam was a tougher test, going to three sets before the Japanese pair prevailed 2-1 (21-19, 26-28, 15-13) to claim their first ever Beach Pro Tour title. This victory adds to their previous two silver medals from the Songkhla Futures (2022 and a recent event), marking their third consecutive tournament reaching at least the semifinals.
For Lilla Villam and her 19-year-old teammate Stefania Kun, the silver medal in Qidong represented their first ever medal on the Beach Pro Tour. After an initial loss, the Hungarian pair mounted a four-match winning streak, culminating in a 2-1 (19-21, 21-16, 15-8) semifinal victory against the eighth-seeded Australian team, Caitlin Bettenay and Cassandra Dodd.
The women`s bronze medal playoff was also a hard-fought three-set match. Quemile and Manu secured their second bronze medal, following one at the Marica Futures in December, by defeating Bettenay and Dodd with a score of 2-1 (21-16, 17-21, 16-14).
Men`s Tournament Highlights
Volleyball England`s beach volleyball department has received significant support from FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, totaling USD 294,000 for coaching and an additional USD 6,000 for coach development. New Zealander Kirk Pitman coaches their national teams.
Frederick Bialokoz and Issa Batrane of England began their Qidong campaign in the qualification rounds and won four consecutive matches to reach the semifinals. Despite a loss there to the eventual champions, the sixth seeds rebounded in the third-place match, defeating top-seeded Bintang Akbar and Sofyan Rachman Efendi of Indonesia 2-0 (21-18, 21-15) to claim bronze. This marks the English duo`s sixth medal on the Beach Pro Tour.
For Kyan Vercauteren (21) and Joppe Van Langendonck (22), the Qidong title is their third gold medal at a world-level competition, adding to their U21 World Championship title in 2023 and the Bujumbura Futures win in 2024. The seventh-seeded Belgian pair mirrored the Japanese women`s path to the final by winning four matches in straight sets, including their 2-0 (21-10, 21-15) semifinal victory over Bialokoz and Batrane. They secured the gold in the final after a three-set battle, defeating Manaus and Vilso 2-1 (21-16, 18-21, 15-6).
In their semifinal match, the Brazilians achieved a 2-1 (21-13, 17-21, 15-13) upset victory against Bintang and Sofyan. Just one week prior in Qingdao, Manaus and Vilso had successfully progressed from qualifications to the top of the podium. In Qidong, the 13th-seeded Brazilian qualifiers nearly repeated this feat, ultimately earning a silver medal. This achievement marks an impressive two finals reached in their only two appearances on the Beach Pro Tour so far.
Tournament Summary
The Qidong Futures tournament featured a field of 21 men`s teams and 16 women`s teams, representing 14 different nations. The Beach Pro Tour Futures series continues next week with a women`s tournament scheduled in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 26 to 29.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood