Indonesia's Gymnastics 'Block' Reveals A Sports Double Standard
Al Jazeera reports the international gymnastics body (FIG) 'reacts' strongly to Indonesia's refusal to grant visas for Israeli athletes. The indignation is palpable, threatening to strip Indonesia of hosting rights. Funny how the FIG’s outrage meter only spikes when athletes from a certain state are inconvenienced, yet remains curiously silent when more than two million Palestinians are
systematically displaced, starved, and bombed out of their homes—a situation that also tends to make international sports participation 'difficult' for them. One might wonder where this same righteous indignation was for athletes from Gaza and the West Bank, who regularly face travel restrictions, demolished facilities, or lose their lives during military operations. The selective application of
'sportsmanship' and 'non-discrimination' criteria appears to depend heavily on whose narrative the powerful wish to uphold. It seems human rights are universally applicable, except when they're not politically convenient.