LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee has recommended global sports federations cease holding events in Indonesia after the country barred Israeli athletes from the ongoing gymnastics world championships in Jakarta.
The IOC’s executive board issued a statement Wednesday saying it was also ending “any form of dialogue” with Indonesia about hosting future Olympic events.
An Indonesian government official declared earlier this month that Israeli athletes would be denied visas to participate in the world championships, which started last Sunday and run through this weekend.
Israel was among 86 teams registered to compete, and its squad included 2020 Olympic gold medalist and defending world champion Artem Dolgopyat in the men’s floor exercise.
“These actions deprive athletes of their right to compete peacefully and prevent the Olympic movement from showing the power of sport,” the IOC’s executive board said.
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and has long been a staunch supporter of Palestinians. The scheduled participation of Israeli athletes had sparked intense opposition within the country.
Jakarta Gov. Pramono Anung earlier this month said the humanitarian catastrophe resulting from the Israel-Hamas war is unbearable and that the arrival of Israeli athletes would cause deep emotional distress to the majority of Indonesians.
The IOC’s executive board met remotely this week to further discuss the situation in Indonesia, and also the “recurrent global issue regarding athletes’ access to international competitions.”
The IOC said “all eligible athletes, teams and sports officials must be able to take part in international sports competitions and events without any form of discrimination by the host country.” It added that the fundamental principles that govern the Olympic movement include “non-discrimination, autonomy and political neutrality.”
It said it was ceasing dialogue with Indonesia over hosting the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, Olympic events and conferences until the government gave “adequate guarantees” that all participants would be granted access to the country regardless of nationality.
In addition, it said it would recommend international sports federations don’t stage tournaments, events or meetings in Indonesia until those guarantees were given.
The Indonesian Olympic committee has been invited to IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland to discuss the issue.
In response to the IOC’s announcement, Indonesia’s Youth and Sport Minister Erick Thohir said the government understood its decision to block the arrival of the Israeli gymnastics delegation would have consequences.
“Indonesia will continue to play an active role in various sporting events at the Southeast Asian, Asian, and world levels, so that Indonesian sports can be an ambassador and a reflection of the nation’s greatness in the eyes of the world,” Thohir said in a written statement Thursday.
Indonesia is among the countries which have either confirmed or is considering a bid to host the 2036 Olympics, a list that also includes India and Qatar. The next two Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028 and in Brisbane, Australia in 2032.
Indonesia was stripped of hosting rights for soccer’s Under-20 World Cup in 2023 only two months before the scheduled start of the tournament amid political turmoil regarding Israel’s participation. FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, later awarded the Under-17 World Cup to Indonesia — Israel wasn’t among the 24 teams that qualified for that tournament.
Since the 1962 Asian Games when Israel and Taiwan were excluded from Jakarta, Indonesia has maintained a consistent refusal to host Israeli delegations.
IOC recommends no international sporting events in Indonesia after country barred Israeli athletes
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IOC recommends no international sporting events in Indonesia after country barred Israeli athletes
- An Indonesian government official declared earlier this month that Israeli athletes would be denied visas to participate in the world championships, which started last Sunday and run through this weekend
Palestine, Syria celebrate reaching Arab Cup quarter-finals
- Both nations knew a draw in their final Group A match would secure Palestine top spot with Syria progressing in second place
DOHA: Celebrations erupted on the pitch and in the stands in Doha on Sunday when both Palestine and Syria made it through to the Arab Cup quarter-finals following a 0-0 draw.
For both sides, reaching the knockout stage in the regional tournament hosted by Qatar was magnified by the all-too recent memory of conflict in their homelands.
Only weeks ago in Gaza, the war sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel came to a halt under a fragile ceasefire plan brokered by the United States.
For the Syrian side, the game came on the eve of the anniversary of the ousting of Bashar Assad, who unleashed years of war with his crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
Both nations knew a draw in their final Group A match would secure Palestine top spot with Syria progressing in second place.
Even ahead of the final whistle, around 40,000 fans packing the Education City Stadium began dancing and chanting to celebrate the two sides’ entry into the last eight.
And at the end of the game, players on the pitch swapped jerseys and posed for photographs together, as the squads’ coaches embraced each other.
“We are very happy to top the group, which included two great teams like Qatar and Tunisia, and we congratulate all Palestinian fans,” said Palestine striker Oday Dabbagh.
“We played to win, especially after learning about Tunisia’s lead over Qatar, but we lacked the final touch in front of the goal... The most important thing is that we qualified.”
Palestine coach Ehab Abu Jazar paid tribute to his mother, who along with his brother and other loved ones had to flee her home and now lives in a tent in Gaza.
“She has a lot of experience with sports, and she told me to play carefully,” he told AFP.
Syrian striker Mahmoud Al-Mawas said the result “means a lot to Syrians because it coincides with the Liberation Day celebrations...
“Now, all our focus will be on the quarter-final.”
At a cafe in the Syrian capital, Damascus, 30-year-old Wafa Durri watched the game, with her country’s flag adorning her right cheek.
“I had never supported the national team, but after the liberation everything changed, and now I support it with all my heart,” she said.
