From July 10 to 21, Leuven became the beating heart of Belgian beach volleyball. Thanks to the unwavering commitment of the Lizards of Lubbeek, Ladeuzeplein was the stage for a vibrant mix of sport, sun, and international flair.

The Belgium Beach Tour held a stop on July 12 and 13, followed by the prestigious International Beach Volleyball Tournament from July 18 to 21. In between, youth, amateur, and provincial competitions were held alongside a range of fun side events such as kubb, pétanque, darts, spikeball, card games, and family days filled with entertainment.

🎉 Record number of amateur participants
An impressive 64 recreational teams participated during the week — an all-time record, highlighting the growing popularity of beach volleyball in and around Leuven.

🏆 Belgium Beach Tour: young talent rises
The national beach tour is divided into two tiers: the Challenge Tour and the Pro Tour. Winners of the Challenge Tour qualify for the next Pro Tour event.

In the women’s Challenge Tour, the title went to the young duo Marit Verwimp (16) and Tes Waegeneers (15). On the men’s side, Luca Gewehr and Lino Carels took the top prize.

🥇 Pro Tour Podium
Men
1. Seppe & Jente De Keyser
2. Casper Willems & Arne Darras
3. Pieter Winters & Timo De Gaspari
Women
1. Youna Coens & Sarah Cools
2. Britt Ruysschaert & Isabel Van den Broeck
3. Jade Van Deun & Lotte Declercq

🌍 International tournament: Belgian duos shine

The international event began on Friday, July 18, with qualification rounds. Sixteen teams per gender competed for four remaining spots in the main draw. Belgium had one entry per gender in these qualifiers.

Qualified teams:
• Men: Two from Poland, one from Greece, one from Hungary
• Women: One each from Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, and Canada

The main draw featured 16 teams, split into four pools of four. Each pool included one Belgian team. After the group stage, the competition progressed through playoffs, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.

Belgian highlights in the final rounds
In the women’s bracket, Ruysschaert/Van den Broeck finished fourth. Coens/Cools claimed silver after a loss to an 18-year-old Austrian duo — reigning U17 world champions.

The men’s final was an all-Belgian affair between Vandecaveye/Vandecaveye and Vercauteren/Van Langendonck. After an exciting three-set match, the Vandecaveye brothers took home the gold.