Global Double Standards And Possible Pupusnya Harapan Indonesia Tuan Rumah Olimpiade

JAKARTA Indonesia's dream of hosting a major sporting competition, such as the Olympics, is a decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The International Olympic Committee urged the global sports federation to stop hosting events in Indonesia. This call was taken after Indonesia canceled the visa of an Israeli athlete who was supposed to compete in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Jakarta. However, Indonesia's attitude, which was strengthened by the decision of the International Court of Arbitration, was criticized by the IOC.

The IOC was unable to find a solution to the decision, which the Israeli Gymnastics Federation (IGF) said had created a dangerous precedent.

In response to this, the IOC executive board held a meeting and decided to end all forms of dialogue with the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) regarding the holding of the Olympics, Youth Olympics, or other conferences in the future.

This prohibition will remain in effect until the Indonesian government guarantees to allow entry for all participants, regardless of nationality. In addition, the IOC will recommend to all international federations not to hold any international sporting events or meetings in Indonesia.

The Indonesian government's decision to cancel visas for Israeli athletes is a form of solidarity with the Gaza people. The Israeli army is considered to have committed genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

This is actually not the first time Indonesia has rejected the arrival of Israeli athletes. In 2023, the rejection of the Israeli team will occur ahead of the U-20 World Cup, where Indonesia will host for the first time.

The controversy forced the International Football Federation (FIFA) to revoke Indonesia's status as host of the U-20 World Cup.

Since the Israeli-Hamas war broke out two years ago, Israel's participation in sporting events has become controversial. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hopes Israel will be crossed out in all international sports competitions.

Meanwhile, ahead of the 2026 World Cup Group I Qualification match, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland also expressed his support for Palestine, as well as condemned Israel's actions. In that match, Haaland packed a trick to win Norway 5-0 while thwarting Israel's participation in the World Cup.

Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness said Israel should have been suspended from international competitions. If Russia is suspended by the IOC due to an invasion of Ukraine, Israel which commits genocide in Gaza also needs to be treated the same. This is because the presence of Israel must trigger controversy and turmoil.

What the IOC has done, as if defending Israel, reminds the public of what Russia is experiencing. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian national team has been banned from competing in the official UEFA and FIFA events. As a result, they missed the 2022 and 2026 World Cups, as well as Euro 2024.

This suspension also applies to Russian clubs, which are banned from playing in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea with Russian passports, was also expelled from British soil.

Reflecting on this experience, the IOC is accused of making double standards in the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. Russian athletes, such as gymnast Angelina Melnikova, must play with the status of an individual neutral athlete (AIN), because they cannot compete against their country due to suspension from the IOC.

Indonesia has a big dream of hosting the 2036 Olympics. But before that, KOI will first seek a stepping stone by submitting itself as the old home of the 2030 Youth Olympics.

The 2025 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were originally a place to prove that Indonesia deserves to host international events, including Youth and Olympic Olympics.

However, the turmoil that occurred before the World Championships, plus the IOC's decision, closed the Indonesian opportunity for it.

Responding to the IOC announcement, Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir said the Indonesian government fully understood that the decision to reject the arrival of Israeli gymnastics delegates would have consequences.

"Indonesia will continue to play an active role in various sporting events at the Southeast Asia, Asia and the world levels, so that Indonesian sports can become ambassadors and reflections of the nation's glory in the eyes of the world," said Erick Thohir.

The man who is also the chairman of PSSI emphasized that the IOC decision would not affect the activities of Indonesian athletes in international events. Because, there are no points that prohibit Indonesia from participating in international events.

Becoming the host of a sporting event is not just giving prestige and pride. World Championship Artistic Gymnastics, for example, is the driving force for the development of gymnastics in the country. Not only socializing gymnastics, the World Championship is also the debut place for young Indonesian gymnasts such as Alarice Prakoso and Salsabilla Hadi.

Meanwhile, Erick emphasized that he would continue to seek discussions and lobbying. According to him, what the IOC decided was not something that could not be discussed or discussed.