Gymnast Ameera's Dreams Shattered One Week Before the World Championships

The artistic gymnastics athlete Ameera Rahmajanni Hariadi (19) was present at the Radin Inten Sports Hall in Jakarta on Saturday (11/10/2025) morning WIB. However, her spirit seemed to be left at home. She appeared confused and gloomy. Ameera could not hide her disappointment after it was confirmed that she would not be performing at the 2025 Jakarta Artistic Gymnastics World Championship.

Ameera has been included in the national training program for the World Championship since early 2025. However, just about a week before the prestigious event on October 19-25, her name was removed. "I am still disappointed. Very disappointed. It's like, oh really? That's so cruel. The cruelty is like a week before (it was decided)," she said.

After the final name registration last Thursday, her coach Eva Novalina Butar Butar tried to find the right words so as not to hurt the athlete's feelings. However, Ameera had already found out through her parents, who happened to check the official documents of the athlete list on the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) website.

The dreams and ambitions of the gymnast from DKI Jakarta collapsed instantly. She was engulfed in disappointment. "Because when else would I perform in Jakarta, right? Watched by family and friends. Moreover, I have been training for a long time. I wanted the peak to be here (World Championship)," said Ameera.

Indonesia continues to send three representatives from the women's gymnastics team. However, Ameera has been replaced by the gymnast from East Java, Larasati Rengganis, who has limited experience in international competitions and was not involved in the national training program. The other two gymnasts remain as initially projected, namely Alarice Mallica Prakoso and Salsabilla Hadi Pamungkas.

The replacement of Ameera was discussed by the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation during the training camp in Doha, Qatar. At that time, the gymnast was unable to attend the Pharaoh Cup 2025 in Cairo, Egypt, at the end of September, due to a metatarsal injury. Ameera was immediately requested to return to Indonesia.

Eva assured the federation that the injury would heal in time before the World Championship. Ameera was advised to stay in Doha for better injury treatment. Ultimately, Ameera remained in Doha while her teammates departed for Cairo. Upon her return to Jakarta, she had recovered and was ready to compete again.

"I would like to convey that Ameera will still perform as planned because we have consulted with an orthopedic doctor. The recovery time is six weeks. During that period, Ameera will continue to practice on the uneven bars using boots, so when her foot is allowed to be used, the sequence of movements will have reached 70 percent. Only the final movements remain," explained Eva, who ultimately bears the costs for Ameera in Doha following the repatriation instructions from the federation.

According to Eva, the federation changed its plans just before the registration deadline. Ameera was replaced on the grounds that she could not compete in the all-around event or the four apparatuses. In fact, since the beginning of the year, she had only been projected to compete in the balance beam and the uneven bars. Furthermore, Ameera is the best in Indonesia on the uneven bars.

It is reasonable for Ameera to consider the federation's reasoning to be illogical. She has devoted all her time and energy, including taking a leave of absence from her studies, to perform her best on both apparatuses. However, the gold medalist from the Aceh North Sumatra PON 2024 in the uneven bars event was sidelined because she could not compete on all apparatuses.

Eva is concerned that this incident will have a long-term impact on her athlete's psychology. In fact, Ameera is projected to represent Indonesia at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. "I ask her not to be too disappointed and to be able to rise again, but I also know that it is not easy," said the "Queen of Gymnastics" from the 1980s.

In that morning session, Ameera was trained directly by the Polish coach with Olympic-level experience, Przemyslaw Lis. He has been assisting Eva for the past two months. During the interview, Lis provided an overview of how the gymnastics world operates at the international level.

According to Lis, gymnasts do not have to master all apparatus. Many great gymnasts are known for their specialization in one apparatus. Oksana Chusovitina, for example, a gymnast who has competed in the Olympics eight times, is known for her specialization in the vault. Focusing on one apparatus has allowed her to compete until the age of 50.

Excellence in one apparatus is better than average performance across all apparatuses. This is sufficient to qualify an athlete for the Olympics. The decision to require gymnasts to focus on all apparatuses, when conditions do not permit, also feels confusing for Lis. "Of course, the best gymnasts perform all around, but that is because they are the best," said the coach who qualified gymnasts for Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

The name change on the final list may seem minor to some, especially decision-makers. However, its impact is significant for the athletes who are the victims. Ameera is indeed still training for the long-term program, but her presence at the sports hall is nothing more than a routine.

Her heart is experiencing an extraordinary emptiness. She is hurt due to artistic gymnastics, a sport she has loved and practiced since childhood. Instead of a celebration stage, the World Championship has now become an event to be avoided. "I don't think I will go to watch. I need time to shift this sadness," concluded Ameera.