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A dispute over writing on winners’ medals saw the second edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games cancelled, a move which could come back to hurt Indonesia at this year’s Asian Games.

The Riyadh-based Islamic Solidarity Federation (ISF) on Sunday called off the games, scheduled for Tehran in April, because Iran used the term “Persian Gulf” on the medals. The games were one of a few opportunities for Indonesian athletes to prepare for November’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

“It is such a shame the games were cancelled again, because it is one of our main tryouts before the Guangzhou games,” said Sony Kasiran, the head of athletes’ development for the Indonesian Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Association (Pabbsi).

“Our lifters had the potential to raise our flag at the games because our toughest rivals such as China, Vietnam and Eastern European countries were likely to be absent from the games.”

Iran was scheduled to host the Islamic Solidarity Games from April 16-25 after the planned date of October 2009 was pushed back due to fears over an H1N1 flu outbreak. The games, which first took place in 2005 at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were established to strengthen ties among the 57 nations of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

The ISF, after an emergency board meeting, said Iran’s organizing committee “unilaterally took some decisions without asking the federation by writing some slogans on the medals and pamphlets of the games.” Arab countries reportedly insisted on using the term “Arabian Gulf” or simply the “Gulf.”

Pabbsi had prepared three lifters — Jadi Setiadi, Eko Yuli Irawan and Triyatno — to compete in Tehran. All three were gold medal winners at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games.

To maintain preparations for the Asian Games, Sony said Pabbsi must find another competition.

Triyatno joined in the voices decrying the cancellation.

“They postponed it from October last year to April this year. That disturbed our training programs enough. Now they cancelled it, the only competition where I could find out about the progress of my opponents before the Asian Games,” the 22-year-old said.

“I’ve competed at the SEA Games, Asian Games and Olympics. I’m still curious about competing in the Islamic Solidarity Games. It was supposed to be my first time.”

Preparations for the Asian Games go on, Triyatno said. Together with Eko, he returned to training at the Pabbsi camp in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, following a two-week break to rest after the completion of the SEA Games.

“I’ve reached about 80 percent of my total lifts made in Laos so far. We’re still in recovery,” he said.

The Indonesian Taekwondo Association (PBTI) also railed against the decision, claiming the move hurt athletes’ training program and competition schedule.

“We put the Islamic Solidarity Games in our annual competition calendar, and maybe the federations of other countries have done the same. Because the games were to be held in April, they fit the athletes’ training schedule. It could’ve been a good tryout before the Asian Games,” PBTI secretary general Wahyu Hagono said.

“The dispute [between Iran and Arabic countries] should not be a disadvantage to the other participating countries.”

Like Pabbsi, the PBTI had three athletes prepared to compete in Iran but must now find another warm-up event.