Indonesia cancels visas of Israeli worlds team

[MaryClare]

Perhaps deserves its own thread.

Indonesia to block Israeli team from competing at gymnastics world championships in Jakarta

Indonesia will block Israeli athletes from competing at the upcoming gymnastics world championships in Jakarta, a government official says

www.independent.co.uk

 

[KathySantoni]

This is not ok. They should cancel worlds altogether.

 

[IratePanda]

I'm going to stage a personal boycott. It won't change anything. It's just a matter of principle for me.

 

[Aeris]

It sucks for the athletes but yeah Israel needs to face some consequences the same as Russia. USA also should have been blocked by countries who wanted to do so when Bush and Cheney were invading Iraq. Nobody is obliged to host a nation who is actively committing genocide.

 

[Doug1233]

Absolutely disgraceful decision.

And no - this is not the same as Russia...

 

[QuietColours]

This is unpleasant timing, days before the competition and with a ceasefire going into effect. I'm not seeing any dramatic new items in the news that might have triggered this--something that would be a change in the situation from when they were granted the visas--which makes it just cruel to athletes

 

[MaryClare]

I wonder the somewhat surprising timing, given the events of the last 24 hours, is because they know that the FIG will be absolutely furious at athletes being given a de facto ban due to visa refusal. But it’s too late in the day for them to actually do anything about it.

I can’t recall any other situation where gymnasts have been prevented from competing at a major competition due to being refused a visa.

 

[irichluck21]

That's wrong to do it so close to Worlds.

FIG should fine Indonesian Gymnastics.

 

[Matilda23]

Maybe there is/was a credible terrorism attack threat?

 

[Passion]

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[Aeris]

FIG should fine Indonesian Gymnastics.

They can't, there's nothing in the contract about it and this comes from the Indonesian government, not the gymnastics federation.

 

[Matilda23]

IIRC Australia refused visas to Chinese gymnasts for 2020 World Cup in Melbourne due to travel restrictions (Covid19)

 

[RichardL]

They can't, there's nothing in the contract about it and this comes from the Indonesian government, not the gymnastics federation.

Was this something that was revoked after being granted, or had the government just not weighed in until now? There are plenty of reasons for the country to have done this, but zero reasons to have done it so close to the event.

 

[KathySantoni]

Was this something that was revoked after being granted, or had the government just not weighed in until now? There are plenty of reasons for the country to have done this, but zero reasons to have done it so close to the event.

I wonder where antisemitic sentiments rank in the reasons for the ban…

 

[Passion]

IIRC Australia refused visas to Chinese gymnasts for 2020 World Cup in Melbourne due to travel restrictions (Covid19)

Chinese gymnasts out of World Cup in Australia

The Chinese gymnastics team entered into next week's World Cup in Melbourne has withdrawn from the event due to Australian government travel restrictions put in place to limit the coronavirus outbreak, organizers said Saturday.

www.espn.com

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Interesting choice for a country considering Youth Olympic and Olympic bids.

 

[IratePanda]

Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country. The government doesn’t recognize Israel.

 

[RedBirdie]

The 1974 world championships were to be held in Bulgaria. Bulgaria said they would not give visas to South Africans. Worlds got pulled and given to Munich. But then a few months later, they were given back to Bulgaria. No idea if the South Africans ever got visas.

Wasn't the first time South African gymnasts had been refused visas. Yugoslavia wouldn't issue them in 1969 so an entire FIG competition was cancelled instead. South Africa then withdrew from the 1970 worlds, also held in Yugoslavia.

1969/1970 (scroll down)

1966: Notes from the FIG Congress + a Failed Worlds Qualifications – Gymnastics History

1974

1974: The Attempt to Move the World Championships – Gymnastics History

 

[BB12]

I feel for the athletes in this situation.

Any denial of visa should have happened much earlier in the process rather than a week before the event starts.

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

I certainly have my own feelings about the actions of the Israeli government and the genocide of the Palestinian people.

However, this move comes off as extremely ill-timed and duplicitous and cannot be made on a country-by-country basis. This sets an extremely dangerous precedent for 2028 if it does not go unchecked.

Interestingly, Indonesia is making a bid for the 2036 Olympics. I’d say they completely torched their bid with this action. They pulled this same nonsense hosting the 1962 Asian Games (they also refused to honor Taiwanese visas), and were banned from the 1964 Olympics by the IOC until Japan stepped in.