The passing of young Indonesian athlete Naufal Takdir Al Bari in Penza, Russia, has left deep sorrow—not only for Indonesia but also for the international gymnastics community.

President of the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) Morinari Watanabe, together with President of the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation (FGI) Ita Yuliati, visited Gresik, East Java, on Sunday, September 28, 2025, to personally convey condolences to the late Naufal’s mother, Nurul Khotimah.

"I deeply mourn what happened to Naufal. He was your son, and he was also my son. Even though Naufal has passed away, his spirit remains with all of us," said Watanabe.

Indonesian gymnastics had been preparing Naufal and four other male artistic gymnasts—Abiyu Raffi, M. Aprizal, Agung Suci Tanto, and Satria Tri Wira Yudha—through a long-term national training program supported by the National Sports Training Center (PPON) of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

They were being prepared to compete at the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2025, the 2025 SEA Games in Bangkok, and were projected as strong candidates for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Before training in Penza, Naufal also had the opportunity to train in Japan.

Watanabe noted that Naufal was known as a polite and kind athlete, a testimony shared by those who had known him both in Japan and in Russia.

“Those who met Naufal in Japan and Russia all liked him. He had a good character. Everyone loved Naufal,” Watanabe said.

Nurul recalled her son’s determination to pursue a career as a gymnast, inspired by his idol, Japanese gymnastics legend Kohei Uchimura. She shared how Naufal once dreamed of making Indonesia proud on the international stage.

“Naufal really idolized Kohei Uchimura. When he was little, he wanted to be called Kohei Naufal. Please forgive him if he ever made mistakes,” said Nurul.

Naufal’s passing has dealt a heavy blow to the international gymnastics community. The gymnast, born in March 2006, will always be remembered.

“Naufal is a sports hero for us. He passed away while on duty, during national training camp. So this was not just training—Naufal was serving his country,” said Ita Yuliati.

Ita added that FGI is coordinating with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Moscow regarding the repatriation of Naufal’s remains to Indonesia. The process is currently at the administrative stage and is expected to take approximately seven working days.

“We continue to coordinate with the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow for the repatriation of the late Naufal’s remains. We have already found a funeral service provider who can carry out Islamic rites. Please pray that everything goes smoothly,” Ita said.