At the Press Conference Oct. 18, 2025, it was clear that both FIG President Watanabe and Secretary General Nicolas Buompane wanted Israel to compete Worlds.
In fact — if it was up to FIG — Russia and Belarus would not have been banned.
Their argument is that sport should be independent of politics.
However, FIG is not in control of many factors. WADA decisions. IOC decisions. And, in this case, the decision of the Indonesian government last minute to disallow individuals from Israel. We were told that the team HAD visas already — but they were cancelled.
Certainly, it’s unlikely Indonesia will be awarded another FIG competition anytime soon. That’s a bit of a shame since organizers in Jakarta are doing a fantastic job.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 