October 2, 2025
JAKARTA – The Indonesian Gymnastics Federation (FGI) is preparing to repatriate the body of young gymnast Naufal Takdir Al Bari from Penza, Russia, following his death last week after a training accident.
Naufal, a 19-year-old artistic gymnast from Indonesia, died last Thursday at GA Zakharyin Hospital in Penza after spending 12 days in intensive care. The accident occurred on Sept. 13 when he failed to land properly in the foam pit after a routine on the bars, resulting in a severe neck injury.
He had been training with four other Indonesian male artistic gymnasts at the Palace of Sport Training Center in Burtasy, Penza, in preparation for the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, set for Oct. 19 in Jakarta, and the SEA Games in Bangkok this December.
Naufal had been seen as one of Indonesia’s strongest prospects for qualification at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in the United States, according to the federation.
Brigitha Sesilya, spokesperson for the 2025 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, shared that Naufal’s family has requested that his body be washed according to Islamic tradition before being flown home.
“God willing, Naufal’s body will return to Indonesia this weekend,” Sesilya told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, noting that the federation is taking care of the whole procedure.
“It took us at least a week because we needed to find a burial company in Penza capable of carrying out the Islamic rites,” she added.
In a statement received by the Post on Wednesday evening, the federation said Naufal’s body would arrive in Indonesia on Thursday and be laid in repose at a funeral home in Cengkareng, near Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, before being sent to Gresik the following day.
The FGI has also been “communicating intensively” with Russian authorities, who are currently investigating whether negligence contributed to the tragedy.
The Penza branch of the Russian Investigative Committee and the regional prosecutor’s office are reportedly examining the quality and condition of the sports equipment at the training center, and whether there were aspects that did not meet the required safety standards, kompas.id reported.
Sesilya confirmed that the federation has handed all necessary documents for the investigation while awaiting the findings. She also highlighted that an autopsy had not been conducted on Naufal’s body.
“Because he was already hospitalized for 12 days, no autopsy was performed,” she said.
Male artistic gymnasts compete across six apparatuses, namely the floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar, each routine ending with a critical landing.
While injuries are an inherent risk in the sport, fatal accidents are extremely rare. The last high-profile case was in 2019, when a gymnast from Southern Connecticut State University in the US died after a fall on uneven bars, CNN reported.
Condolences and tributes
News of Naufal’s passing has sent shockwaves through the gymnastics community at home and abroad, with tributes pouring in for the athlete described as both talented and kind-hearted.
“I am so sorry for what happened to Naufal. He was his mother’s son, but also [felt like] mine. Although he is no longer with us, his spirit remains with us all,” said the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) president Morinari Watanabe in a statement on Sunday.
Watanabe recalled how Naufal’s character left a deep impression on those who met him during international competitions.
“Those who knew Naufal while he stayed in Japan and Russia all liked him. He had a good character. Everyone loved Naufal,” Watanabe added.
FGI chair Ita Yuliati also paid tribute to the young gymnast, whom she described as a national athlete who had died in service to the country. Ita personally visited Naufal’s mother in Gresik, East Java, last Sunday to convey her condolences.
“Naufal had been a sports hero for us. He passed away while […] carrying out his national duty,” she said.
Meanwhile, his teammates, Abiyu Raffi, M. Aprizal, Agung Suci Tanto and Satria Tri Wira Yudha, have continued their training in Penza as they prepare to compete in Jakarta later this month.