Jakarta (ANTARA) - Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo has said that Israel will not participate in the 2023 Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) World Beach Games (AWBG) in Bali.
"It has been (made) clear. There is no problem. The Olympic Committees (ANOC) on April 27 (2023) released the list of countries that will participate, and there is no Israeli contingent, so there will be no more (reason for any) polemic," he informed at the Vice President's Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.
The polemic surrounding the participation of the Israeli national team emerged earlier this year when Indonesia was preparing to host the U-20 World Cup.
At the time, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster objected to the Israeli national football team, which had qualified for the U-20 World Cup, coming to Bali for the tournament.
On April 14, Ariotedjo met the Bali governor to discuss the Israeli team’s participation in the 2023 World Beach Games.
“So, it is clear that there is no objection," the minister said.
The 2023 ANOC World Beach Games will be held from August 5–12 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.
Before the tournament, Indonesia will host the Chef de Mission (CdM) meeting for the World Beach Games from April 28 to May 1, which will be attended by representatives from 69 countries in Bali.
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During the CdM Meeting, the Indonesian ANOC World Beach Games Organizing Committee will share information regarding the readiness of the venues, accommodation, transportation, and other supporting facilities for the tournament.