The End Game Beach Volleyball Tournament 2026 brought together some of Guyana’s developing players and regional talent over two competitive days, with Guyana taking the men’s crown and Suriname emerging on top in the women’s division.
Guyana’s Juan Velazquez and Vance Harding won the men’s championship, while Suriname’s Ketura Heijmans and Gianina Stewart secured the women’s title when the tournament concluded on Sunday, September 27.
Organised by the Guyana Beach Volleyball Association (GBVA), the September 26-27 competition featured players from Guyana, Suriname and the Cayman Islands, creating an opportunity for local athletes to compete against different playing styles and gain valuable regional exposure.
The Guyanese contingent was drawn from more than Georgetown, with players travelling from Linden and the Rupununi to participate.
Velazquez and Harding were among the standout performers throughout the tournament. They dominated Group A on the opening day, going unbeaten in three matches and winning all six of their sets for nine points.
Jackson Josua and Kauan Lima Do Nascimento followed with six points, while Tayshaun Griffith and Anphany Fredericks collected three. Kai James and Akon Holder rounded out the group.
Group B produced a much closer battle as Kenneth Glidden and Andrea Tognazzo, Micah Chichester and Clarence Lucius, and Evgenii Titov and Daniel Joseph each recorded two victories and one defeat to finish on five points.
Glidden and Tognazzo won five sets to lead the group on that count, while Chichester and Lucius and Titov and Joseph each won four. Ryan Reid and Antuan Stephen collected three points, with Neyo Robinson and Fabio Philips also competing in the group.
Following the qualifiers and knockout matches on Sunday, Velazquez and Harding maintained their momentum to secure the men’s championship. Titov and Joseph finished as runners-up, while the Cayman Islands’ Glidden and Tognazzo took third place.
The women’s competition also featured a dominant unbeaten combination.
Heijmans and Gianina swept their three preliminary matches without losing a set, collecting nine points before continuing their winning form into the championship stage.
Guyana’s Joyce Simon and June Lewis eventually secured second place, while Cayman Islands representatives Elise Marie Joe Swaby and Julissa Aliana Kelly finished third.
During the opening round, Simon and Lewis recorded four points, while Kim Chan-Bagot and Semira Greene, Kelly and Swaby, and Precia Griffith and Jamayfia Smith finished on three points each. Sonia Agapchenko and Aliyah Blackman also advanced after winning four sets and collecting two points.
Prize money was awarded equally across the men’s and women’s divisions, with the champions receiving $100,000, runners-up earning $60,000 and third-place teams collecting $40,000.
For the GBVA, however, the tournament also served a broader purpose. The participation of players from several parts of Guyana, combined with the presence of teams from Suriname and the Cayman Islands, created a stronger competitive environment for local athletes.
The association views competitions such as End Game as important to increasing competitive opportunities, developing athletes and strengthening regional participation in beach volleyball in Guyana.
Organisers also credited the contributions of sponsors, partners, officials, volunteers and supporters for helping to successfully stage the event.
Support came from A+ Printing & Embroidery, Autopit Signs, Dagron Tours, Sagacity Inc., CinNex Inc., Kurt Gonsalves & Associates Architects and Building Consultants, Guyana Volleyball Federation, Guyana Tourism Authority, K&A Painting, Anil Lalsa Construction, Massy Distribution Guyana Inc., Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Sonic Business Services, James Variety Store, One Stop Realty Investment Inc., KS General Services and Stars Party Rental.
The GBVA also thanked the visiting competitors from Suriname and the Cayman Islands and said the experience from End Game 2026 will be used as it seeks to create further opportunities for competitive beach volleyball in Guyana.
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