PODGORICA, Montenegro – Bulgaria claimed the title at the U18 Men’s Balkan Championship after an outstanding campaign, finishing ahead of Türkiye, who secured the silver medals, while hosts Montenegro celebrated bronze medal on home soil.
The tournament concluded with Bulgaria standing on top of the podium, confirming their status as the region’s best U18 men’s team. Türkiye also impressed throughout the competition to finish as runners-up, while Montenegro produced one of the biggest moments of the championship by defeating Serbia for the first time to capture the bronze medal.
Beyond the medal standings, the championship once again demonstrated the high level of volleyball in the Balkan region. Five participating nations—Bulgaria, Türkiye, Serbia, Romania, and Greece—have qualified to compete at the 2027 CEV U18 Men’s European Championship, underlining the strength and quality of the tournament.
During the awarding ceremony, the championship trophy was presented to Bulgaria by Nikola Kažić, President of the Volleyball Federation of Montenegro (OSCG).
The gold medals were awarded by Ksenija Božović, member of the OSCG Board of Directors.
The silver medals were presented to the Turkish national team by Bekir Abdi, Secretary of the Embassy of Türkiye in Montenegro.
The bronze medals were awarded to Montenegro by Sonjo Moro, BVA Supervisor.
Following the finals, the traditional individual awards ceremony recognized the tournament’s standout performers. The awards were presented by Ivan Ječmenica, Director of Montenegro’s Men’s National Teams.
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player (MVP): Pavel DZHENEV (Bulgaria)- Best Setter: Nikola VELIKOV (Bulgaria)
- Best Outside Spiker: Vuk STANOJEVIĆ (Montenegro)
- Best Opposite: Gabriel KABANGU (Türkiye)
- Best Middle Blocker: Vukota ČELEBIĆ (Montenegro)
- Best Libero: Valeriu VERCIUS (Romania)
- Fair Play Award: Vuk STANOJEVIĆ (Montenegro)
The championship in Podgorica highlighted the exciting future of Balkan volleyball, with several of the region’s brightest young talents showcasing their potential ahead of the upcoming European Championship, where many of these players will have another opportunity to compete against the continent’s best.
