BPT Finals Men’s Doha Preview – World’s Top Teams in the last Big Battle of the Year
The biggest Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour event of the year kicks off on Wednesday, December 4, in Doha, Qatar, bringing together 10 of the best men’s teams in the world for an intense showdown at the Aspire Zone. Running through Saturday, December 7, the tournament will feature high-stakes matchups between elite duos, including reigning Olympic champions, world champions, and former world number ones.
Tournament Format
The 10 teams are divided into two round-robin pools of five. After pool play:
- The winners of each pool advance directly to the semifinals.
- The second and third-placed teams will battle it out in the quarterfinals.
- Men’s matches begin at 15:00 local time (12:00 UTC) on Wednesday.
Pool A: Stacked with Olympic and World-Class Talent
1. Cherif Younousse & Ahmed Tijan (Qatar 🇶🇦) – The top-seeded home favorites and Tokyo 2020 bronze medalists will be eager to shine in front of their fans. Ranked 9th in the world, they recently secured silver at the Joao Pessoa Elite16, battling against Norwegian legends Mol & Sørum.
2. Stefan Boermans & Yorick de Groot (Netherlands 🇳🇱) – The world’s #4 team won gold at the Doha Elite16 earlier this year and are determined to end the season on a high note. They have also won silver in Ostrava and bronze in Hamburg in 2024.
3. Nils Ehlers & Clemens Wickler (Germany 🇩🇪) – The Paris 2024 silver medalists and current #3 in the world have been one of the most consistent teams this season. They also won silver at the European Championship and reached multiple Beach Pro Tour semifinals.
4. Paolo Nicolai & Samuele Cottafava (Italy 🇮🇹) – This will be the final professional tournament for the 36-year-old veteran Nicolai, a Rio 2016 silver medalist and three-time European champion. The Italian duo, ranked 10th in the world, will aim to finish on a high.
5. Ondrej Perusic & David Schweiner (Czech Republic 🇨🇿) – The reigning world champions secured two golds this year (Stare Jablonki Challenge & Brno Futures) and will look to make a statement in their first Beach Pro Tour Finals appearance.
Pool B: A Clash of the Titans
1. David Åhman & Jonatan Hellvig (Sweden 🇸🇪) – The reigning Olympic champions and world #1 team enter as defending Doha Finals champions. The young Swedish stars (22 and 23 years old) won four Elite16 events in 2024 and will aim to cap off their dominant year with another title.
2. Anders Mol & Christian Sørum (Norway 🇳🇴) – The Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalists, former world champions, and former #1-ranked duo are determined to reclaim the Doha title. Their 2024 season includes golds in Vienna, Hamburg, and Joao Pessoa, as well as a bronze in Paris.
3. Steven van de Velde & Matthew Immers (Netherlands 🇳🇱) – The world #5 team had a strong season, highlighted by silver at the Brasília Elite16. They will get a rematch in Doha against Brazil’s Evandro & Arthur, the team that denied them gold in Brazil.
4. Evandro Oliveira & Arthur Mariano (Brazil 🇧🇷) – Ranked #7 in the world, this Brazilian powerhouse duo won gold in Brasília and Recife and will be a serious threat in Doha.
5. Joaquin Bello & Javier Bello (England 🇬🇧) – The Bello twins recently made history by winning their first-ever Beach Pro Tour gold at the Rio Elite16. Currently ranked #16 in the world, they also claimed bronze in Recife and Nuvali this year.
Tournament Outlook
With Olympic champions, former world number ones, and multiple 2024 title winners, the Doha Finals promise to deliver some of the most thrilling beach volleyball matches of the year. Will Åhman & Hellvig continue their dominance? Can Mol & Sørum reclaim their throne? Or will home favorites Cherif & Ahmed deliver a stunning performance in Qatar?
The action starts on Wednesday, December 4, with the grand finale on Saturday, December 7!
