Beach volleyball legacy driving force behind Games campaign
THE impact of Australia’s gold medal-winning beach volleyball effort in Sydney continues to inspire Australia’s current generation of Olympic hopefuls, 21 years after Nat Cook and Kerri Pottharst took the dais.
It was the once-in-a-generation flashpoint that lit Olympic dreams in every Australian volleyballer since, and the reason why Australian star Jessyka Ngauamo is adamant hosting the 2032 Olympic beach volleyball event on the Gold Coast would inspire today’s kids to strive for gold as well.
Though 2032 will almost surely arrive too late for the careers of current stars, Gold Coaster Ngauamo said the chance to inspire future generations on home turf would see participation boom in the sport.
“Australia rarely gets to host high-level tournaments so a lot of people aren’t familiar to how impressive the sport really is,” Ngauamo said.
“Hosting the Games would hopefully increase participation just by making the sport more visible to the public.
“For people to see how exciting and dynamic the sport can be would inspire … Australian kids to give the sport a go and hopefully stick at it.”
A postcard signed by Sydney Olympics hero Nat Cook for Ngauamo’s squad-mate Mariafe Artacho del Solar, encouraging her to “Go chase your dreams”, is a treasured piece of memorabilia among Australia’s elite beach volleyball community.
The Gold Coast would deliver an unforgettable beach volleyball experience, Ngauamo said, because the Glitter Strip’s party vibes can match even the most exotic Olympic locales.
“Australia is known for its beaches and summer lifestyle and that’s what beach volleyball is all about too,” she said.
“You go over to European countries and they make tournaments feel like a big party with all the music and people dancing in the stands. That’s what the Gold Coast is iconic for. That would be easily recreated with a tournament here.”
Football Gold Coast chairman Damien Bresic echoed those sentiments for his own sport.
“Having football present on the Gold Coast in a 2032 Olympics would be a huge catalyst for growth in our game throughout the region,” Bresic said.
“Following up from the 2023 Women’s World Cup, we would have all the reasons to push for a boutique-style stadium on the Gold Coast as well as showing FIFA that we are ready to host a World Cup.”