Indonesia finally granted Israeli badminton player Misha Zilberman an entry visa. Photo: Wikipedia.

The World Jewish Congress on Monday thanked Indonesia for allowing Israeli badminton player Misha Zilberman to enter the country and participate in the World Badminton Championships in Jakarta.

The development followed an extended delay in the approval of his visa application, leading to reports that the athlete was denied entry to the country. 

“We are glad that this matter has been resolved and that Misha Zilberman can now compete in the World Badminton Championships in Jakarta,” said WJC CEO Robert Singer, who released a statement last week calling for the Indonesian government to allow the Israeli athlete to enter. “On behalf of the World Jewish Congress, I would like to thank the Indonesian authorities who granted him the entry visa, as well as all those who worked for a resolution of this matter.”

The WJC said it believes that politics and sports should be kept “separate as much as possible,” and that athletes who have qualified for international sporting events should be allowed to travel and participate regardless of the countries they represent.

Zilberman, 26, submitted his application to enter Indonesia six months ago and provided all the necessary documentation, according to the WJC. The athlete was held up in Singapore for two weeks before being cleared to enter the Muslim country.

The week-long World Badminton Championships began on Monday in Jakarta and Zilberman is set to compete on Tuesday.