Indonesian Olympic Hopeful Naufal Takdir Al Bari Dies After Neck Injury in Russia Training
Naufal Takdir Al Bari, 19, died after a neck injury sustained during an advanced gymnastics stunt at a Penza training camp in Russia; he had been hospitalized for 12 days prior to his death.
An Indonesian Olympic hopeful died Thursday after suffering a neck injury during a gymnastics stunt in Russia, the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation said. Naufal Takdir Al Bari, 19, was at a national team training camp in Penza when he attempted a skill on the horizontal high bar and landed awkwardly in a foam pit, according to the Russian Gymnastics Federation.
He was hospitalized in intensive care for 12 days before his death.
Naufal was described as a talented young athlete and a good person, with Indonesia Gymnastics Federation officials noting the loss to the sport. The federation said the 19-year-old had shown promise on the international stage and that his passing represents a deep blow and a period of mourning for Indonesian gymnastics, with condolences extended to his family.
Officials said he had been preparing for the Artistic Gymnastics World Championship in Jakarta next month and was projected to qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Russian Gymnastics Federation said it conducted an investigation into Al Bari’s death and found that the athlete was not prepared to perform the element he attempted; the exact element remains undisclosed. Vasily Titov, the federation’s vice president, told Russian media that the necessary inquiry had been completed and that the circumstances surrounding the injury had been established. The element’s specifics were not released publicly.
The incident underscores the risks involved in elite gymnastics training, and Indonesian officials have said the federation will review safety and preparation protocols as they mourn a rising star of the sport.