🥇 Ivan and Richard Likhatskyi win BPT Futures Budapest, Popov/Tiurin take bronze!

From 3 to 6 September 2026, Budapest, Hungary, hosted the international beach volleyball tournament BPT Futures Budapest. 🇺🇦 Ukraine was represented by three men's teams and one women's pair.

It turned out to be a hugely successful event: Ivan Likhatskyi / Richard Likhatskyi won the title, Serhii Popov / Illia Tiurin claimed bronze, while Dmytro Kozii / Sviatoslav Nahornyi and Inna Makhno / Iryna Makhno finished fifth.

🇺🇦 Ivan Likhatskyi / Richard Likhatskyi (coach Mykola Babich) were seeded 9th. They played six matches and won five. In Pool A they lost to Bulgarians Mehandzhiyski/Kalchev — 1–2 (21–12, 16–21, 12–15), then beat the French pair Bezu/Hypolyte — 2–0 (21–13, 21–19).

In the Round of 12 the brothers knocked out Polish second seeds Lejawa/Kaczmarek — 2–1 (21–19, 13–21, 15–8). In the quarterfinal they defeated Swedes Grahn/Isaksson — 2–1 (21–14, 14–21, 15–6). The tightest match was the all-Ukrainian semifinal against Popov/Tiurin, which went the distance — 2–1 (21–15, 24–26, 17–15).

In the gold-medal match the Likhatskyis took revenge on Mehandzhiyski/Kalchev with a straight-set win — 2–0 (21–10, 21–13), earning 400 ranking points and $1,500 in prize money.

🇺🇦 Serhii Popov / Illia Tiurin (coach Serhii Popov) came through the qualification, beating Latvians Liepiņš/Lasmanis — 2–0 (21–12, 21–15) and the French pair Bezu/Hypolyte — 2–1 (17–21, 21–16, 15–9).

They won both Pool B matches: against Kozii/Nahornyi — 2–0 (21–17, 21–16) and against second seeds Lejawa/Kaczmarek — 2–0 (21–12, 21–14), topping the pool and bypassing the Round of 12. In the quarterfinal they defeated Hungarians Hajós/Veress — 2–0 (21–10, 21–18), before losing the semifinal to the Likhatskyis.

In the bronze-medal match Popov and Tiurin beat Austrians Klemen/Holzinger — 2–0 (22–20, 21–10). Overall the pair won six of their seven matches, earning 320 ranking points and $750 in prize money.

🇺🇦 Dmytro Kozii / Sviatoslav Nahornyi (coach Serhii Popov, seeded 7th) lost their first Pool B match to compatriots Popov/Tiurin — 0–2 (17–21, 16–21), then beat Hungarians Bogáncs/Sárik-Veress — 2–1 (16–21, 21–15, 15–10).

In the Round of 12 they defeated Swedes Andreasson/Andersson — 2–0 (21–16, 22–20). In the quarterfinal they fell to eventual silver medallists Mehandzhiyski/Kalchev — 0–2 (15–21, 13–21), finishing fifth with 240 ranking points and $450 in prize money.

🇺🇦 In the women's tournament Inna Makhno / Iryna Makhno (coach Larysa Buchatska, seeded 8th) lost their opening Pool A match to Brazilians Gavio/Sallaberry Cavalcanti — 0–2 (19–21, 13–21), then beat Canadians Robitaille/Hladyniuk — 2–1 (18–21, 21–19, 15–11).

In the Round of 12 the sisters defeated Hungarians Honti-Majoros/Posztós-Szabó — 2–0 (21–19, 21–16). In the quarterfinal they lost to eventual silver medallists, Norway's Pavlova/Helland-Hansen — 0–2 (14–21, 20–22), finishing fifth with 240 ranking points and $450 in prize money.

Medallists: Men: 🥇 Likhatskyi/Likhatskyi (Ukraine), 🥈 Mehandzhiyski/Kalchev (Bulgaria), 🥉 Popov/Tiurin (Ukraine). Women: 🥇 Kun/Villám (Hungary), 🥈 Pavlova/Helland-Hansen (Norway), 🥉 Krizanauskaite/Grudzinskaite (Lithuania).

👏 Congratulations to Ivan and Richard Likhatskyi and Serhii Popov and Illia Tiurin on their medals, and to Dmytro Kozii, Sviatoslav Nahornyi, Inna and Iryna Makhno and coaches Mykola Babich, Serhii Popov and Larysa Buchatska on a successful tournament!

📺 Match video: [watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksvNyqYR1pI) 📊 Full tournament results: [men](https://fivb.12ndr.at/tournament?tcode=MBUD2026&timezone=39) · [women](https://fivb.12ndr.at/tournament?tcode=WBUD2026&timezone=39)

Keep the ball in play! 🇺🇦 Glory to Ukraine!