Certainly, there must be anticipation, tactical steps, if something (any polemic) does happen.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo has assured that there will be no more polemic surrounding the participation of the Israeli contingent in the 2023 Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) World Beach Games (AWBG).
"(There will be) no (more polemic); I had met earlier with the Governor of Bali, (I) Wayan Koster, along with chairperson of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI), Raja Sapta Oktohari," he said here on Saturday.
The minister met the governor on April 14, 2023, at Jayasabha Building, Denpasar city, Bali province. During the meeting, they agreed to fully support the smooth and successful implementation of the 2023 AWBG.
Earlier, the Bali governor had objected to the participation of the Israeli national football team at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which was scheduled to take place in Indonesia. On account of this, the country’s hosting rights were revoked and given to Argentina.
According to Ariotedjo, the participation of the Israeli contingent in the 2023 AWBG is not yet certain.
Still, the Youth and Sports Ministry will prepare anticipatory measures if Israeli athletes are confirmed to take part in the tournament, which could trigger a polemic in the future, he stated.
"Certainly, there must be anticipation, tactical steps, if something (any polemic) does happen," he added.
According to an official letter sent by ANOC secretary general Gunilla Lindberg to Oktohari on April 17, the Chef de Mission (CdM) meeting for the AWBG will be attended by 69 countries in Bali from April 28 to May 1.
The minister noted that the CdM of the Israeli contingent was not included in the list of attendees in the letter.
Hence, he said that he will wait until the meeting takes place to confirm the participation of the Israeli athletes in the sporting event.
The 2023 AWBG is scheduled to be held from August 5–12 in Bali and will be followed by the ANOC General Assembly on August 13–15. The tournament is expected to be attended by around 1,600 athletes from 130 countries.
The qualification stages for the competition are currently being implemented and will continue until July.
During the CdM Meeting, the Indonesian ANOC World Beach Games Organizing Committee will convey the readiness of the venues, accommodation, transportation, and other supporting facilities for the tournament.
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Translator: Narda Sinambela, Uyu Liman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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