USA 1 and Kazakhstan completed the semifinal lineup at the 2025 WPV Beach ParaVolley World Championships after finishing second in their pools on Thursday, setting up Friday’s matches against unbeaten Poland and Latvia at Pompei Beach along the Mediterranean coast.
Latvia’s Andrejs Filipavics, Dmitrijs Silovs and Maksis Karlis Grandbergs continued their dominant form in Pool 1 with a 2-0 (21-16, 21-18) victory over USA 1’s Abram Gornik, Andrew Nation and Kyler Carl Moore. The result gave the Baltic side a flawless record heading into the semifinals, while the Americans secured second place after earlier wins against Slovakia and USA 3. Slovakia’s Martin Dubovsky, Pavol Sedlak and Erik Nevolny wrapped up their campaign on a high, defeating Türkiye 2’s Samet Can Karasu, Koray Candan and Suleyman Bayram Atilgan 2-0 (21-7, 21-4).
In Pool 2, Poland’s Dariusz Cegielka, Filip Gaca and Artur Wasowicz topped the group after a 2-0 (21-4, 21-10) win over Türkiye 1’s Metin Karaca, Hasari Kose and Selim Akyayla. The defending champions finished with three victories and one hard-fought, three-set contest against Kazakhstan earlier in the week. The Kazakh trio of Bauyrzhan Urazaliyev, Azimkhan Bekbolatov and Yerbolat Altayev secured second place with a 2-0 (21-5, 21-8) win over USA 2’s Kurtis Larson, Robert Rodriguez and Kyle Mason, confirming their return to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, USA 3’s John Ekdom, Danny Alvarez Rivadeneira and Jacob Keen closed their campaign with a straight-sets 2-0 (21-10, 21-15) win over Türkiye 2, a strong finish that underlined the progress made by all participating teams. Across four days of competition, athletes from six nations showcased the growing depth and competitiveness of the standing beach discipline, which continues to gain momentum on the world stage.
Türkiye 2, represented by Samet Can Karasu, Koray Candan and Suleyman Bayram Atilgan, concluded their run in ninth place, earning valuable experience in front of the home crowd at Pompei Beach.
The Beach ParaVolley World Championships form part of the 2025 World Abilitysport Beach Games, the first multi-sport event dedicated exclusively to beach and aquatic Para disciplines. Held along Mersin’s 116-kilometre coastline, the Games have united athletes from around the world and marked a milestone for Para sport in Türkiye.
Friday’s semifinal schedule will open at 10:00 local time, with USA 1 challenging Pool 2 winners Poland, followed by Kazakhstan facing Pool 1 leaders Latvia at 11:00. The bronze medal match is set for 14:00, and the gold medal final will take place at 15:00, all at Pompei Beach, where the 2025 Beach ParaVolley world champions will be crowned against the scenic backdrop of the Mersin coastline.