The Israel Gymnastics Federation said on Sunday that it had registered to take part in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships set to take place in Indonesia this fall.
The Southeast Asian nation, which does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and has the world’s largest Muslim population, recently informed the national governing body for gymnastics in Israel that it would welcome Israeli athletes to the October 19-25 competition in Jakarta.
Indonesia was previously sanctioned by the FIFA international soccer association for its refusal to host Israeli players in the past.
“We are in direct contact with the organizers and believe that extraneous considerations will not overshadow the sport,” a spokesperson for the Israel Gymnastics Federation told JNS. “We expect the competition organizers to approve the entry of the delegation as well as the security requirements for the delegation’s safe participation in the championship.”
One of the potential Israeli competitors is Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat, who secured gold and silver medals in Tokyo and Paris, respectively, and won the floor exercise at the World Championships two years ago.
Indonesia has been named among the Muslim nations that might join the landmark Abraham Accords, which saw Israel normalize relations with four Arab countries during the first Trump administration.
