Nationality South Africa Height 1.81 m Role Olympic athlete | Name Leigh-Ann Naidoo Weight 70 kg (154 lb) | |
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Similar People Shelda Bede, Adriana Behar, Vasso Karantasiou, Sandra Pires, Vassiliki Arvaniti | ||
Leigh-Ann Naidoo (born 12 July 1976 in Durban) is a South African beach volleyball player.
Naidoo began her career at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour in 1999 attending only the Acapulco Open alongside Alena Schurkova. Already with partner Julia Willand she attended more stages in the 2004 season culminating with the participation in the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens. They lost all three matches in the group stage and did not advance to the medal round.
Personal life
Naidoo currently resides in Johannesburg and has been married to Kelly Gillespie since 2007. Before the 2004 Olympics she became known publicly for her homosexuality and two years later she was ambassador and keynote speaker of the Gay Games, in Chicago.
Naidoo is an anti-Israel activist and in 2016 participated in an attempt to break the internationally backed maritime blockade of Hamas controlled Gaza. The vessel, the Zaytouna-Oliva, did not carry any humanitarian aid. She was detained by Israeli authorities, processed and returned to South Africa within a day. Prior to the naval interception of the vessel, Naidoo pre-recorded a video message claiming that she had been "kidnapped" by Israel's authorities.