Bellos delighted with BPT Challenge silver on return to action 

The England pair played their first top-level competitive tournament of 2026 following a spell on the sidelines due to Joaquin’s wrist injury in playing the Challenge event in Alanya, Turkey. 

And despite their lack of recent match practice compared to their opponents, they were able to make it all the way to the final of the competition before losing narrowly to German pair Paul Henning and Lukas Pfretzschner (22-20, 24-22). 

It was enough to earn them 760 valuable ranking points and ensure they made a flying start on their tour return. 

“We are really happy with the level that we showed, and especially with how we were able to sustain it over the whole week,” said Javier. 

“We are used to making deep runs in Challenge events, so we knew we were capable of playing at that level, but the biggest challenge was maintaining it and surviving a very fatiguing schedule, with multiple matches played very late in the evening. 

“We are very excited to continue competing in the biggest events on the tour, pushing our limits and continuing to improve.” 

The Bellos started their campaign with successive victories in Pool F against Just and Wust of Germany (21-19, 21-15) and Merritt and Walker of Australia (26-28, 21-17, 15-13). 

That gave them an automatic place in the round of 16, where they defeated number one seeds, the Capograsso brothers of Argentina (21-14, 18-21, 15-9), before sweeping aside Pascariuc and Horst of Austria in the quarter-finals (21-14, 21-12). 

The semi-finals stages saw them line up against second seeds Cottafava and Dal Corso of Italy, where they dug deep and hit back from a set down to triumph 16-21, 22-20, 15-9. 

Sunday’s final was their sixth match in four days and though they came up just short, it nevertheless represented a satisfying outcome after a lengthy lay-off – even if it left a toll on their bodies. 

Javier added: “Joaquin was not able to play complete pain free, although his wrist injury has improved massively and reached a manageable stage.  

“It’s important to note that as professional athletes, there are always pains that come because of the really high intensity and output of each match. 

“We must always take a long-term view of our performance, which has been so important to achieve this result and an essential pillar for our team. The first step is to continue recovering and prioritise our physical health.” 

While the Bellos will not compete at the Beach Pro Tour Futures Bridlington event on home sands next week, as they continue to rest and recuperate, more competitions are on the horizon. 

They also have one eye on qualifying for the European Championships, despite playing catch-up due to their enforced tour absence. 

“We are aiming to play in Gstaad (Elite 16 event, starting on 1st July),” said Javier. “We are a couple of spots away from the cut-off and should find out if we are in over the next week or two. 

“We would love the opportunity to compete in the biggest event of the year. 

“From there, we hope to qualify for the European Championship, although it’s challenging with only one event left in the qualification period. 

“There are a few more Pro Tour events later in the summer that we are also aiming towards.  

“Every tournament is an opportunity to continue growing and improving as a team.” 

Keep up to date with what is happening with English players on the Beach Pro Tour via the Volleyball England social media channels.