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≡ GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPS ≡
Following a long-time practice of refusing to allow Israeli athletes to compete in Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, government officials said they will not be allowed to compete at the 2025 World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, which will begin on 19 October:
● On Wednesday, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo said, “Regarding athletes from Israel, as the Governor of Jakarta, under current circumstances, I will not allow their presence.
“There’s no benefit in having Israeli gymnasts compete in Jakarta right now – it would only spark anger.”
● Indonesia’s senior minister of law, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, said Thursday, “The government will not grant visas to Israeli gymnasts who intend to attend the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta.”
The Associated Press reported, “Mahendra acknowledged that the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation had previously submitted a sponsorship letter for six Israeli athletes to obtain visas, but that ‘the federation has withdrawn the sponsorship letter.’”
As recently as July, the Israel Gymnastics Federation expected to be able to compete:
“We are in direct contact with the organizers and believe that extraneous considerations will not overshadow the sport.
“We expect the competition organizers to approve the entry of the delegation as well as the security requirements for the delegation’s safe participation in the championship.”
Indonesia’s history against Israel has been clear since 1962 and any assurances it has made about allowing any qualified athlete to participate have been meaningless since it refused visas to Israeli and Taiwanese athletes for the 1962 Asian Games. More recently:
● In March 2023, FIFA withdrew its men’s U-20 World Cup from Indonesia over its refusal to allow Israel to compete, and moved the tournament to Argentina in the same May-June timeframe. Israel won the bronze medal.
FIFA said it would consider sanctions on Indonesia, but handed the country its men’s U-17 World Cup two months later, held in November and December 2023.
● In April 2023, Indonesian officials again said they would not allow Israeli athletes to compete at the ANOC World Beach Games from 5-12 August. Under pressure from the Association of National Olympic Committees over their promise to host all athletes for the World Beach Games, the Indonesian government revoked funding for the event and on 4 July 2023, ANOC had to cancel it:
“It is with great surprise and extreme disappointment that ANOC has learnt that the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) has withdrawn from its commitment to host the ANOC World Beach Games and the ANOC General Assembly in August 2023.
“With the Games scheduled to take place in one month, the decision at such late notice prevents ANOC from being able to find an alternative host and so there is no option but to cancel this year’s edition of the Games in Bali in August as well as the ANOC General Assembly.”
No word from the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), whose President, Morinari Watanabe (JPN) spoke about the record number of national federations – 86 including Israel – slated to compete in Jakarta:
“Such a record number of participants is a wonderful reward for gymnastics and the Local Organising Committee and a real testament to the unifying power of sports.”
That statement apparently has less meaning now. FIG has posted no statement on Israel’s exclusion as of the time this story was posted.
Israel won one medal at the 2023 Worlds, a men’s Floor Exercise gold by Artem Dolgopyat, also the Tokyo 2020 Floor gold medalist and Paris 2024 runner-up and who was ready to defend his title.
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