Gymnast, Olympic Hopeful Naufal Takdir Al Bari Dies at 19 After ‘Training Accident’
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NEED TO KNOW
- A gymnast who was projected to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games has died at age 19
- Naufal Takdir Al Bari died on Thursday, Sept. 25, almost two weeks after a “training accident”
- The Indonesian athlete was remembered as “the nation’s best” after his death
Naufal Takdir Al Bari, a gymnast who was projected to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games, has died following a training accident. He was 19.
Bari died in Penza, Russia, on Thursday, Sept. 25, after he spent 12 days in intensive care for his injuries, the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation announced on Instagram.
“The Indonesian Gymnastics Federation is in mourning, male athlete Naufal Takdir Al Bari has passed away,” the organization wrote. “The 19-year-old gymnast breathed his last after undergoing intensive care for 12 days at GA Zakharyin Hospital.”
Bari reportedly suffered a “severe” neck injury after falling “awkwardly” into a foam pit while training on a high bar, the Russian Gymnastics Federation said on social media.
The teenager was preparing to compete in the 2025 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Indonesia in October, and he was projected to make it to the next Summer Olympics, which are taking place in Los Angeles.
Naufal Takdir Al Bari/Instagram
Ita Yuliati, the Chairperson of Indonesian Gymnastics, said in a statement, “Naufal was a talented young athlete, and a good figure.”
“Indonesian Gymnastics has lost the nation’s best,” Yuliati continued, adding: “This is a deep blow and sorrow for us. May the family be given strength.”
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Naufal Takdir Al Bari/Instagram
The Vice President of the Russian Gymnastics Federation, Vasily Titov, confirmed that the organization had investigated Bari’s death.
“We conducted the necessary investigation, and all the circumstances surrounding the injury have been established. Unfortunately, the athlete was not prepared to perform such a complex element,” he said in a post, translated from Russian.
The specific stunt Bari performed that led to his accident has not been revealed.
The Russian Gymnastics Federation and the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
