IOC tells federations to avoid events in Indonesia after Israeli gymnasts barred

IOC freezes Indonesia as host after Israeli gymnasts denied visas

The International Olympic Committee has urged international sports federations to avoid staging events in Indonesia after the country denied visas to Israeli gymnasts for the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta. The IOC executive board also halted all talks on any Indonesian bids for future Olympic events, saying discussions would not resume until the government guarantees entry for all eligible athletes regardless of nationality. The committee plans to adjust Olympic qualification rules to require access guarantees and has summoned Indonesia’s National Olympic Committee and the International Gymnastics Federation to a meeting in Lausanne. The directive came as the championship week unfolded in the Indonesian capital.

Indonesia, the largest majority Muslim nation, does not maintain diplomatic ties with Israel and has long supported Palestinian statehood. Senior officials said the visa refusal followed objections from within government and from religious leaders in the country after months of conflict in Gaza. The decision kept the Israeli team from competing in Jakarta. The Israel Gymnastics Federation called the move shocking and heartbreaking.

Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir said Jakarta accepts the consequences and described the policy as grounded in the 1945 Constitution and in a duty to maintain public order. He added that Indonesia will continue to take part in regional and global events while guarding security at home. His office has framed the stance as consistent with national law and the principle of preserving world order.

What triggered the IOC move

The flashpoint was the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, which began last week. Israel was among dozens of teams registered to compete. Its athletes and officials were unable to travel after Indonesian authorities confirmed they would not receive visas. Among those affected is Artem Dolgopyat, the reigning world floor champion, Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist and Paris 2024 silver medalist. Indonesian officials maintained the visa ban even after a recent ceasefire in Gaza.

Indonesia’s policy and public order rationale

Officials argued that admitting the Israeli delegation could spark protests and threaten public order. Indonesia keeps no formal ties with Israel and maintains a long standing policy that it will not engage until Palestinian independence is recognized. Senior legal affairs minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the ban followed objections from government quarters and from clerics. The governor of Jakarta said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza made the arrival of the team unacceptable to many residents.

How the IOC responded and what will change

The IOC, citing its core principles, said hosts cannot exclude athletes based on nationality. Its executive board recommended that international federations avoid staging competitions or meetings in Indonesia until the government provides firm entry guarantees. It also froze any discussion of Indonesian bids for the Youth Olympic Games and the 2036 Summer Olympics. The committee instructed the Indonesian Olympic Committee and FIG to attend a meeting in Lausanne to address the case and the broader issue of athlete access.

What the Olympic Charter expects from hosts

The Olympic Charter commits the movement to fair access without discrimination and to political neutrality. In practical terms, that means a host must issue visas to all eligible athletes and officials and keep the playing field safe. When access is denied, federations are expected to protect participant entry by relocating events or setting conditions before awarding them. FIG statutes require host authorities to ensure visas, though the federation did not move the Jakarta event.

In an official note, the IOC said the visa ban deprived athletes of their right to compete peacefully and blocked the movement from showing the power of sport.

These actions deprive athletes of their right to compete peacefully and prevent the Olympic movement from showing the power of sport.

The IOC also said Olympic qualification frameworks will be updated so that any qualifying tournament must include a clear and enforceable guarantee of access for every eligible athlete. It reminded all stakeholders that sport should offer equal opportunity regardless of nationality, while respecting the autonomy of federations and the rules they set.

Courts and federations: what did CAS and FIG decide

The Israel Gymnastics Federation filed urgent appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, asking arbitrators to order the International Gymnastics Federation to guarantee Israel’s participation or to move or cancel the event. CAS turned those requests down. The panel also refused to annul FIG’s acknowledgment of the Indonesian government position. CAS is world sport’s independent tribunal, and it weighs emergency requests against federation rules and the urgency of harm. In this case, the competition continued without Israel.

Athletes caught in the middle

The athletes most affected are those who spent months preparing to peak in Jakarta. Dolgopyat, a world champion and Olympic medalist, and his teammates were kept out by the visa decision. For gymnasts chasing rankings and selection, a missed world championship can disrupt training plans and funding.

After the decision became public, the Israel Gymnastics Federation condemned the ban in stark terms.

Shocking and heartbreaking.

Leaders in Israeli sport also backed the IOC action. Yael Arad, who heads the Olympic Committee of Israel, welcomed the steps as a defense of equal opportunity and fair play. The IOC, for its part, has ordered the Indonesian Olympic Committee and FIG to attend a meeting in Lausanne in the near future.

Indonesia’s hosting ambitions and record on Israeli participation

The freeze hits an area of national pride. Indonesia has signaled interest in the 2036 Summer Games and has sought more top tier events after hosting the 2018 Asian Games. That path is now blocked unless the government gives entry guarantees for all participants. The IOC says it will not consider Indonesian bids for the Olympics, the Youth Olympics or other Olympic umbrella events until those guarantees are in place.

This is not Indonesia’s first clash over Israeli participation. In 2023 FIFA removed the Under 20 World Cup from Indonesia after some regional leaders objected to Israel’s team. The ANOC World Beach Games were later canceled after Indonesian authorities withdrew support amid resistance to Israeli participation. Indonesia also refused to host Israeli athletes at the 1962 Asian Games.

Domestic politics and public sentiment

The visa ban drew support from religious organizations and parts of the political class. The Indonesian Ulema Council had opposed an Israeli delegation. The governor of Jakarta said the humanitarian crisis from the war in Gaza made the arrival of Israeli athletes a source of emotional distress for many residents. Officials have cast the policy as a security measure meant to avoid unrest while staying consistent with constitutional values.

A wider pattern of sport entangled with geopolitics

The dispute fits a wider pattern in which international sport intersects with foreign policy and public pressure. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many federations barred Russian and Belarusian teams or allowed only neutral athletes. In recent months, United Nations experts urged soccer bodies to suspend Israel from international competition over the treatment of Palestinians. The facts differ across cases, yet the debate has grown louder over who gets to take part and on what terms.

What might change for future events

The IOC plans to make access guarantees a condition for any event that determines Olympic qualification. Federations could now demand written assurances from hosts and move tournaments when participants are denied entry. That would push more qualifiers to neutral or flexible venues, where organizers can provide visas without political caveats. For Indonesia, any return as a host in the Olympic movement would require a formal commitment to allow entry for all eligible delegations. The meeting in Lausanne is the next test of whether those guarantees are possible.

What happens next

The World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta continue without the Israeli team. The IOC has not set a date for the Lausanne meeting with the Indonesian Olympic Committee and FIG, yet it expects to address both the immediate case and future access rules. Indonesia’s sports ministry says it will keep building national sport programs and attend international competitions. Until entry guarantees are on the table, however, the country will not host events under the Olympic umbrella.

Key Points

• IOC advised federations not to stage events in Indonesia after visas were denied to Israeli gymnasts.
• Talks on Indonesian bids for Olympic events are halted until entry for all participants is guaranteed.
• CAS rejected appeals to force Israeli participation or move the Jakarta world championships.
• FIG kept the world championships in Jakarta despite host visa refusals.
• Indonesia cites its constitution, public order and support for Palestine to justify the ban.
• Israeli athletes, including world and Olympic medalist Artem Dolgopyat, could not compete.
• IOC will require access guarantees for any Olympic qualification event.
• Indonesia previously lost hosting rights for the FIFA Under 20 World Cup and saw the World Beach Games canceled over Israeli participation.
• Indonesia’s NOC and FIG have been invited to an IOC meeting in Lausanne to address the situation.