Indonesian gymnast dies after training accident in Russia

19-year-old Indonesian gymnast and Olympic hopeful Naufal Takdir Al Bari died in Russia nearly two weeks after suffering an accident during training, the local federation said on Sept. 26, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 27 September 2025
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Indonesian gymnast dies after training accident in Russia

  • Naufal suffered a serious neck injury after falling awkwardly into a foam-filled pit
  • The gymnast spent 12 days in intensive care but died this week

JAKARTA: A 19-year-old Indonesian gymnast and Olympic hopeful died in Russia nearly two weeks after suffering an accident during training, the local federation said.
Naufal Takdir Al Bari had been training in the western city of Penza since early September to prepare for the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta next month.
Naufal suffered a serious neck injury after falling awkwardly into a foam-filled pit while performing a bar exercise, Oleg Minkarsky, director of the sports hall in Penza, told Russian news agency TASS.
The gymnast spent 12 days in intensive care but died this week.
“Indonesian gymnastics has lost one of its finest sons. This is a deep blow and sorrow for us,” Ita Yuliati, chairperson of Indonesia’s gymnastics federation, said in a statement Friday.
“We are currently communicating with his family... and the Russian embassy in Indonesia so that the repatriation of the late Naufal’s remains to the homeland can be carried out soon.”
Naufal had been in contention to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.


Mid East Falcons win inaugural United Series championship in Dubai

Updated 11 sec ago
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Mid East Falcons win inaugural United Series championship in Dubai

  • The 8-1 win over Mumbai Cobras gives the Abu Dhabi franchise a 2-1 series victory and first Baseball United title

DUBAI: Shotaro Kasahara allowed only two hits in six scoreless innings with six strikeouts to lead the Mid East Falcons to an 8-1 win over the Mumbai Cobras and the first United Series championship in league history.

Munenori Kawasaki — named United Series MVP — went 2-for-5 with one run scored and two RBIs as the Falcons claimed a 2-1 series win over the India franchise. Kawasaki batted .417 for the series.

Kasahara had a total of 72 pitches, 57 of which were strikes. Also, Shingo Hirata (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 SO after a Fire Ball scored) and Severino Gonzalez (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1BB) completed the pitching line for the Falcons.

Shuhei Fukuda went 2-for-3 with one RBI, Hiroyuki Makajima batted 2-for-3 with one RBI, and Gregori Cano had a 1-for-3 night, with two runs scored and one RBI, to highlight the Mid East offense.

After losing Game 1, the Falcons turned the United Series around with two straight victories. They scored a total of 16 runs on 26 hits, and allowed only five runs.

Other highlights:

Nyan Hernandez took the loss after a 1.0 inning, in which he allowed three hits, four earned runs, three walks and struck out two.

Lou Helmig went 1-for-3 with one RBI, as the standout man in the Cobras offense.

After winning Game 1 of the United Series, Mumbai only had eight hits and two runs scored.