The 2026 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge Xiamen was held from May 13 to 17 at Yefengzhai Beach on Island Ring Boulevard in Siming district. 

As an FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) Grade A event and a qualification tournament for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, this competition attracted over 100 teams from more than 30 countries and regions.

After five days of intense competition, in the men's final, the Israeli pair Eylon Elazar and Kevin Cuzmiciov defeated the Australian duo 2-0 to claim the championship. In the women's final, the American pair Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig narrowly beat the Lithuanian pair 2-1 to take the title. 

Chinese duo Xia Xinyi and Yan Xu also delivered an impressive performance, finishing fourth in the women's category. With a total prize pool of $250,000, the event stands as one of China's top-tier beach volleyball tournaments.

American player Alexis Durish said: "Siming in Xiamen is a wonderful place — beautiful scenery, incredibly warm crowds, and a very high?level tournament. I'm truly grateful to win the gold, and I sincerely hope to come back to Xiamen in the future."

The tournament was free to all spectators, with 800 tickets distributed daily and 1,600 on the final day. Food and drinks were available around the venue, with several coastal-themed photo spots.

As a regular host of major beach volleyball events since 2008, Siming district's Yefengzhai Beach has become a globally recognized "beach volleyball mecca", with the sport becoming a signature part of the district's sports identity.