Pļaviņš and Fokerots Secure Bronze in Brazil’s Elite 16 Opener
Latvia’s beach volleyball duo Mārtiņš Pļaviņš and Kristiāns Fokerots kicked off their season in dominant fashion, starting their season strongly by claiming the bronze medal at the Beach Pro Tour (BPT) “Elite 16” tournament in Brazil on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
The Latvian pair, who entered their first tournament of the year as the sixth seeds, secured their place on the podium after a hard-fought battle against France’s Remī Basero and Kalvinu Ajē (seeded 4th). Pļaviņš and Fokerots ultimately prevailed with a 2-1 victory, winning the sets 21:16, 17:21, and 15:13 to climb the elite podium.
Their path to the bronze medal match was marked by several high-stakes encounters. In the quarter-finals, the Latvians delivered a commanding 2-0 performance to defeat the American duo of Milesa Evans and Chase Badinger (15th seed) with a score of 28:26, 21:15. This followed a gritty opening-round knockout match where they overcame Brazilians André Stein and Renato de Carvalho (14th seed) 2-1 (17:21, 21:16, 15:9).
The duo’s momentum began in the group stage, where they won two of their three matches to advance. However, their bid for the gold was halted in the semi-finals, where they fell 0-2 (14:21, 15:21) to the fifth-seeded Norwegian powerhouse team of Annešs Mūls and Kristians Sērums.
The “Elite 16” is the premier tier of the BPT ranking system, followed by “Challenge” and “Futures” events. Whereas Pļaviņš and Fokerots enjoyed a successful debut, fellow Latvians Arturs Rinkevičs and Ardis Bedrītis were unable to advance, failing to navigate the qualification rounds. By securing bronze medals in such a competitive field, the pair has established themselves as immediate contenders for the 2026 season.
