CAS rejects Israel’s appeal to participate in gymnastics world championships in Indonesia

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected appeals by the Israeli Gymnastics Federation (IGF) seeking permission for its team to participate in the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Indonesia. 

In a statement released on Tuesday, CAS officially announced that Israeli gymnasts will not be able to compete at the upcoming world championships in Jakarta, scheduled to take place from October 19 to 25.

The CAS Appeals Arbitration Division, headed by the deputy president, carefully reviewed and ultimately turned down the requests for urgent provisional measures, as outlined in the statement.

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Following the denial of visas to Israel's six qualified athletes by Indonesian authorities last Thursday, the Israel Gymnastics Federation took legal action by filing two urgent appeals to CAS, in an effort to ensure the athletes' participation or explore the possibility of relocating or canceling the event.

The Israeli federation claimed discrimination due to the entry denials, but the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) stated that it did not have the authority to compel Indonesia to issue visas without further elaboration.

The prestigious competition, set to commence in just five days, is expected to involve over 500 athletes from 79 countries.

Initially, Israeli athletes were expected to participate in the championships, but the Indonesian government announced its refusal to grant them entry less than two weeks before the event due to the genocidal war in Gaza, citing its support for Palestinians.

Chairwoman Ita Yuliati of the Indonesian gymnastics federation confirmed that the visas for the Israeli athletes were denied by the immigration authorities.

Indonesia to block Israeli participation in gymnastics world championships in Jakarta

Indonesia will block Israeli athletes from competing at the upcoming gymnastics world championships in Jakarta.

The latest incident in the gymnastics arena reflects the broader global backlash against Israel in various fields, including sports and culture, following war crimes and other violations in Gaza.

In a separate event, in July 2023, Indonesia withdrew from hosting the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) World Beach Games due to controversy surrounding Israel's participation.

Additionally, in March of the same year, Indonesia lost the hosting rights to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup following objections from two governors regarding Israel's involvement.

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