Olympian Kerri Pottharst slams proposed Bondi beach volleyball ban

The woman who won volleyball gold for Australia at Bondi during the Sydney Olympics has slammed locals who want to ban the sport on the beach.

The woman who won volleyball gold for Australia at Bondi during the Sydney Olympics has slammed locals who want to ban the sport on the beach because they fear a child could be “knocked out” by a speeding, wayward ball.

Kerri Pottharst — who alongside Natalie Cook scooped gold in an iconic 2000 Olympic tournament played on the sands at Bondi — said the claims from a “small number” of critics were “absolutely absurd”.

“That’s the first word that came to me when I heard about it: it’s absurd,” she told The Telegraph.

“It’s a soft ball, played on sand on a very small section of the beach. It doesn’t make sense.”

Australian Olympic Beach Volleyball legend Kerri Pottharst. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Waverley Council has launched a public consultation on volleyball being played at Bondi and Tamarama, with Mayor Paula Masselos claiming the move was triggered by multiple safety complaints — including fears a child could be knocked out by a wayward ball.

Depending on the feedback, council could reduce the number of courts — which aren’t permanent — or could even completely remove them.

Three-time Olympian Pottharst slammed the potential axing of the sport from the iconic beach, saying she hoped a “small number of isolated voices” shouldn’t result in the elimination of the sport from some of Sydney’s iconic beaches.

“It’s a culture, it’s family-friendly, it’s gender equal, it’s diverse … and to think someone can think someone could get hurt playing it, it’s absurd,” she said.

She added the move could potentially lead to the loss of the next generation of Olympians.

“It’s not just the backpackers or the locals who would be missing out – it’s the next generation of players,” she said.

Kerri Pottharst stands in front of the mural painted in her honour. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Pottharst, who has a mural of herself and Cook adorning the retaining wall that looks over Bondi Beach, added the move came “when we should be doing everything we can to encourage our kids to be outside and playing sports”.

In a statement released on Monday Ms Masselos said the council “never said that it is considering banning volleyball”.

“Council is undertaking comprehensive community engagement to better understand what our residents think after concerns were raised by some members of our community regarding the location of beach volleyball courts and compliance with Council’s rules of play,” she said.

Consultation runs until May 17.