LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee said on Friday it regretted Indonesia’s decision to ban Israeli athletes from competing at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, despite intense efforts by the Olympic body to find a solution.

Israel confirmed this week it would not be taking part in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta after its athletes were denied visas, with the Israel Gymnastics Federation calling the decision shocking and heartbreaking.

Indonesia said last week it had denied visas to Israeli gymnasts amid an outcry over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, costing Israeli athletes a spot in the world championships that start on Sunday in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, which has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel.

The Israeli Gymnastics Federation had appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, demanding that it either guaranteed their athletes’ presence or forced a move or cancellation of the event. But CAS rejected the appeal.

In a statement released on Friday, the IOC expressed “great concern” over the Indonesian decision and said it would “discuss the specific situation” of the Asian country at its next Executive Board meeting.

“Since the IOC became aware of the situation... it has, on all levels, been in touch with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), the IOC Member in the country, the National Olympic Committee and the government of Indonesia to help facilitate a solution. Unfortunately, no resolution has been found,” the IOC said in a statement.

“The IOC very much regrets the situation, especially after the remarkable step towards a peace agreement at the Peace Summit in Egypt, as witnessed by the President of Indonesia.”

The IOC said it was up to host countries and organisers of sports events and the respective federations to ensure the participation of all athletes without any discrimination or restriction as per the Olympic Charter.

“The IOC’s principled position is very clear: all eligible athletes, teams and sports officials must be able to participate in international sports competitions and events without any form of discrimination from the host country,” it added.

“It is therefore the direct responsibility of the host country, the organiser and the sports organisations directly concerned to make sure that this principle is fully respected. Sport must remain a safe space for athletes to fulfil their dreams; and athletes must not be held responsible for political decisions.”

Indonesia decided not to issue visas to the Israeli athletes, senior legal affairs minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said, citing objections from groups such as a council of Islamic clerics and the government in Jakarta.

The Gaza war has faced strong criticism in Indonesia, even after a recent ceasefire took effect.

The ceasefire has stopped two years of devastating conflict in which more than 67,900 people have been killed in Gaza.

In July 2023, Indonesia pulled out of hosting the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) World Beach Games following controversy over Israel’s participation.

In March that year, Indonesia lost the hosting rights to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup after two governors objected to Israel’s participation.

Although both of those were before war broke out in Gaza.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2025