Jakarta (Indonesia), July 8 (IANS) Indonesia is set to host the 2025 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, which will take place in Senayan, Jakarta, from October 19 to 25, the chair of the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation, Ita Yuliati, announced here on Tuesday.

So far, 86 countries and regions have registered for the 53rd edition of the championships, which is a new record, according to Ita.

“Usually, this world championship is attended by around 70 countries [and regions], and this time there are already 86 countries [and regions] that have registered. This is a record in itself,” she stated.

The event will bring together over 600 athletes from across the globe to compete at this major international tournament, reports Xinhua. It will be the first time that Indonesia, as well as any Southeast Asian country, will host the event.

As the host nation, Indonesia is continuing to refine all aspects of its preparations, including arena readiness, technical arrangements, budgeting, and training camps for the national team, Ita added.

The World Artistic Gymnastics Championships are held every year, featuring both men’s and women’s events. The first championships were held in 1903, initially for male gymnasts. The women’s event was started in 1934 and is held every year.

The championships are recognised as a key event in the gymnastics calendar, serving as a platform for athletes to compete for world titles and Olympic qualification. The last edition of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was held in 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium.

The World Championships, which are organised the year after the Olympic Games, do not have team competitions, which gives individuals a chance to shine even more brightly on the world’s biggest stage. Countries may register as many as six men and four women to compete in Jakarta, with a maximum of three gymnasts competing on each apparatus.

Ten apparatus titles — six for men and four for women — will be up for grabs, and new men’s and women’s All-Around champions will be crowned too. Individual qualifications will take place over three days, with tentatively eight subdivisions of men’s competition on 19 and 20 October and 10 subdivisions of women’s competition happening on October 20 and 21. Men’s and women’s All-Around finals are scheduled for October 22 and 23, with two days of apparatus finals after that.

–IANS

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