Inp.polri.go.id - Gresik. International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) president Morinari Watanabe visited the family home of late Indonesian gymnast Naufal Takdir Al Bari in Gresik, East Java, on Sunday (28/9/2025) to offer condolences in person.

“I deeply grieve for what happened to Naufal. He is your son, and also my son. Even though he is gone, his spirit remains with all of us,” Watanabe said in a statement released in Jakarta, as quoted by antaranews.com

Accompanied by Indonesian Gymnastics Federation (FGI) chair Ita Yuliati, Watanabe met Naufal’s mother, Nurul Khotimah, and recalled the 19-year-old as a kind, respected athlete loved by peers in Japan and Russia.

Naufal, born in 2006, was considered Indonesia’s rising hope for the 2025 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, the Thailand SEA Games, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. His death during training in Russia was described by Yuliati as a “huge loss” for Indonesia and the global gymnastics community.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)