Duran dominates against Germany as Bosnia and Herzegovina return to Paralympic final Duran dominates against Germany as Bosnia and Herzegovina return to Paralympic final

Bosnia and Herzegovina secured their return to the Paralympic Games final for the first time since missing the Tokyo 2020 final, defeating Germany 3-0 (25-23, 25-6, 31-29) at the Paris 2024 men’s sitting volleyball semifinals on Thursday at North Paris Arena. The victory marks Bosnia’s sixth appearance in a Paralympic final, having previously competed in five finals before Tokyo.

Mirzet Duran was the key figure in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s victory, tallying 17 points with six attacks, five blocks, and six aces to lead his team back to the gold medal match. Safet Alibasic and Ermin Jusufovic contributed to the win with 13 and 10 points, respectively, primarily from attacks, further boosting Bosnia’s offence. Germany’s Heiko Wiesenthal and Francis Tonleu tried to keep their team in the match, each scoring 10 points, but Bosnia and Herzegovina’s superior blocking (12-3) proved to be the decisive factor.

The opening set was tightly contested, with Germany gaining an early edge, leading 9-4. The Germans held their advantage midway through the set, but Mirzet Duran’s powerful attacks and Adnan Manko’s effective blocking began to shift momentum in Bosnia’s favor. As the Bosnians chipped away at the lead, they leveled the score at 19-19 following a crucial German error. Under mounting pressure, the Germans faltered, allowing Bosnia to snatch the lead. Duran sealed the set with a key block on Dominik Albrecht’s serve, securing a 25-23 win.

In the second set, Bosnia dominated from the start, racing to a 9-0 lead with Duran, Jusufovic, and Manko leading both offensively and defensively. Germany’s Florian Singer briefly halted the Bosnian surge, but Duran and Jusufovic quickly regained control, widening the gap. Alibasic finished off the set with a decisive attack, giving Bosnia a commanding 25-6 victory.

The third set saw Bosnia take an early 3-0 lead, only for Heiko Wiesenthal to respond with back-to-back attacks to tie the score. The set then became a series of deadlocks and lead exchanges, with Bosnia gaining the upper hand towards the end. Germany mounted a final push, applying pressure on Jusufovic at the net and briefly taking the lead. However, Bosnia remained composed in key moments, extending the set. Duran delivered a crucial attack to bring Bosnia to set point, and a Wiesenthal error handed Bosnia the 31-29 win, securing the match and their place in the Paralympic final.

Photo: WPV/Sinisa Kanizaj.