Greek champions crowned in Athens before large capacity crowd

The Finals of the 32nd Panhellenic Beach Volleyball Championships concluded on Sunday, July 26, after four spectacular days of competition in the heart of the Greek capital, where Syntagma Square was transformed into a Beach Volleyball arena welcoming thousands of spectators.

Anastasia Sirinina and Paraskevi (Vivian) Zafeiriou were crowned the new Greek women’s champions after defeating Dimitra Manavi and Olga Strantzali in straight sets, 21-18, 21-19, to claim their first national title. The thrilling final lasted nearly one hour and was played before a packed stadium, with the new champions producing a composed performance to secure a historic victory.

In the men’s competition, Theodoros Papadimitriou and Panagiotis Ioannidis returned to the top of Greek Beach Volleyball by defeating defending champions Stavros Ntallas and Dimitris Chatzinikolaou 21-13, 21-18. Four years after their previous title in Agios Nikolaos, the pair once again lifted the national trophy in front of a capacity crowd at Syntagma Square.

The victory marked the sixth Greek Championship title for Papadimitriou, who first won the national crown in 2007 before adding further titles in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022. At 41 years of age, he also became the oldest player ever to win the Greek Beach Volleyball Championship. The triumph was the perfect finishing touch to a memorable chapter in his life, as he is set to marry his fiancée on Friday, July 31, making the title the ideal prelude to one of the most important moments of his personal life.

The bronze medals went to promising youngsters Dimitris Kaliozis and Antonis Karykas in the men’s tournament, while former national champions Konstantina Tsopoulou and Myrto Kalamaridou, who won the title in 2025, completed the women’s podium with the bronze medal.

Throughout the four-day event, Greece’s best men’s and women’s teams delivered Beach Volleyball of the highest standard, thereby providing spectacular rallies and memorable matches in one of Europe’s most iconic public squares. Thousands of fans filled the grandstands every day, while hundreds more watched the action from outside the venue on a giant outdoor screen, thus creating an exceptional atmosphere that exceeded all expectations.

The Athens Finals 2026 concluded with packed stands and enthusiastic applause during the medal ceremonies, celebrating not only the newly crowned champions but also all the athletes who reached the podium, in another successful showcase for Greek Beach Volleyball.