Indonesia has barred Israeli gymnasts, including Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat, from entering for the World Championships.
Authorities cited Israel’s military actions in Gaza, drawing protests from the Israel Gymnastics Federation.
The Indonesian government has blocked Israeli gymnasts, including Olympic and world champion Artem Dolgopyat, from competing at the upcoming World Artistic Gymnastics Championships due to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.
The competition, scheduled to begin on Sunday and run until October 25, will now take place without the Israeli delegation after the country was denied entry visas. According to BBC Sport, Indonesia cited the war in Gaza as the reason for refusing to grant the visas.
Following the decision, the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for emergency relief, but the court rejected its request for provisional measures. A second appeal was filed but could not be heard before the tournament’s start.
The IGF said it was “deeply disappointed” by the court’s ruling, arguing that the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) failed to ensure fairness for all member nations. It accused both the host country and the FIG of discrimination and said the decision went against the principles of fair competition.
In its response, CAS said the FIG had no authority to influence visa approvals, noting that the Indonesian government’s action was beyond the federation’s control.
“The rules are clear, and Indonesia’s actions constitute a violation of them,” the IGF said in a statement. “It is unacceptable that one country can stop another from competing while global sports bodies remain silent.”
Dolgopyat, who won Olympic floor gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games and silver in Paris last year, expressed disappointment over the situation. He said the decision was painful for the athletes who had prepared for years and feared it could affect the spirit of sports worldwide.
“We are disappointed for all gymnasts and coaches,” he wrote on Instagram. “We continue to hope for justice, but sadly, we will not be able to compete.”
The Israeli team had included Dolgopyat, Eyal Indig, Ron Pyatov, Lihie Raz, Yali Shoshani, and Roni Shamay, all of whom were part of the appeal.
The controversy comes as Israel and Hamas continue to observe a temporary ceasefire, which saw the exchange of 20 Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian detainees on Monday.
