NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expressed its ongoing disagreement with the Indonesian government after Israeli gymnasts were blocked from entering the country for the World Championships in October.
The IOC confirmed to PK Press Club Digital that Indonesia had not agreed to any of the guarantees requested by the committee following the incident.
“The IOC has held meetings with World Gymnastics and the Indonesian NOC to discuss the events that occurred in October. So far, the IOC has not received the guarantees requested from the government,” said an IOC statement.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Silver medalist Team Israel celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony of the rhythmic gymnastics group all-around final on the fifteenth day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris, France, August 10, 2024. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
PK Press Club Digital has contacted the Indonesian Embassy in the United States for comment.
The IOC previously condemned the country for denying visas to Israeli athletes and said it was a violation of the international charter. All talk of Indonesia hosting a future Olympics ended and the IOC had advised world organizers not to schedule any major events in the country.
“These actions deprive athletes of their right to compete peacefully and prevent the Olympic movement from showcasing the power of sport,” the IOC the board said in a statement in October. “The IOC’s principled position is very clear: all eligible athletes, teams and sports officials must be able to participate in international sporting competitions and events without any form of discrimination from the host country, in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the fundamental principles of non-discrimination, autonomy and political neutrality that govern the Olympic Movement.”
The Indonesian government cited security concerns for its decision to deny visas to the Israeli team, warning of potential threats in its country to the safety of Israeli athletes and others.
However, Team Israel claimed that its own country’s security services had determined that the country was safe to enter and had allowed its athletes to go there.
“We received permission from Israeli security authorities to participate in the World Championship subject to the necessary security protocols in place. From our side, all preparations were completed – registration processes, entry visas to Indonesia and confirmation from Israeli security authorities,” the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) previously told PK Press Club Digital.
INDONESIA REACTS AFTER OLYMPIC CONSEQUENCES OF BANNING ISRAELI GYMNASTS FROM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Team Israel competes in the rhythmic gymnastics group all-around final on the fifteenth day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Porte de La Chapelle arena in Paris, France, August 10, 2024. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Israeli male gymnast Eyal Indig previously recalled the days leading up to his visa being denied in an interview with PK Press Club Digital.
“The official reason given by the Indonesian government was that our participation would put us and other national delegations at risk,” Indig said. “For us it was very strange… This same security did a scan a week before our flight, in Indonesia, they were in Indonesia, and they cleared everything in terms of security. So we had full clearance from the Israeli security team, and you can believe me they wouldn’t allow anything that wasn’t safe. And our federation kept telling us it was safe.”
Indig later called the Indonesian decision “a blatant incident of discrimination based on nationality.”
Israeli women’s gymnast Lihie Raz told PK Press Club Digital: “We were disappointed and frustrated, because for us, sport is a place free of politics.”
Indonesian Sports Minister Erick Thohir previously defended his country’s decision in a statement released in the last week of October.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
Lihie Raz of Team Israel practices vault during a gymnastics training session ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, July 25, 2024. (Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages)
“We adhere to the principle of maintaining security, public order and public interest by hosting every international event,” Thohir said.
Indonesia had already been stripped of its right to host the Under-20 World Cup when the governor of Bali refused to host the Israel team in a match.
