Indonesia Barred From Hosting 2025 Gymnastics World Championships After Denying Visas to Israeli team
JAKARTA, Indonesia – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has condemned Indonesia’s decision to deny visas to Team Israel for the 53rd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, scheduled to take place in Jakarta in October 2025, resulting in the country being stripped of its hosting rights.
“It is inconceivable that a country can bar another nation from competing in a World Championship while the governing bodies stand by,” the IOC stated via the BBC.”This decision undermines the very foundations of sport and fair competition, and it delivers a severe blow to the morale of the gymnasts and staff who have worked tirelessly for this moment.”
The sanction follows a similar incident in 2023, when Indonesia was stripped of its right to host football’s Under-20 World Cup after the governor of Bali refused to host Team Israel in a game.
the latest action against the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation (IGF) is part of a broader trend of restrictions placed on Israeli sports teams and fans in recent months. The Israel Premier Tech cycling team was excluded from the Giro dell’Emilia race in Italy on October 4 due to concerns over potential pro-Palestinian protests.
In September, the UEFA Europa League reportedly considered a vote to suspend Israel over the war in gaza, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on October 3 that no action would be taken. He later met privately with Palestinian soccer federation leader Jibril Rajoub, praising his institution “for their resilience at this time,” according to The Associated Press.
Fans of Israeli teams have also faced restrictions, with supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv prohibited from attending a Europa league game in Birmingham, England, on November 6, following an attack on the team’s fans in Amsterdam last fall.
the recent ceasefire brokered last week saw Hamas release 20 hostages held in Gaza, while israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
