863 Young Archery Athletes Show High Potential and Competitiveness

After the success of the first series held last May, MilkLife and the Djarum Foundation's Sports Bakti are once again organizing the MilkLife Archery Challenge 2025 Series 2 at the SuperSoccer Arena in Kudus, Central Java, from Wednesday (November 12th) to Saturday (November 15th).

This tournament, supported by the Indonesian Archery Association (Perpani) Kudus, successfully attracted 863 young archers from 25 Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI), 151 Elementary Schools (SD), 12 Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs), and 47 Junior High Schools (SMP) from various regions in Central Java, East Java, and DIY. Additionally, a new category has been added in this second series: National (standard bow) for U15 boys and girls. The other four categories that will be competed in are National U12, National U10, PVC U12, and PVC U10, for both boys and girls.

The Regent of Kudus, Dr. Ars. Sam'ani Intakoris, S.T., M.T., who was also present at the event, expressed high appreciation for the successful organization of the MilkLife Archery Challenge Series 2 in Kudus Regency. According to him, this championship is not only a platform for competition, but also a space for learning and character building for young athletes who are on their path to achievement. He also assessed that the involvement of various parties, including the Djarum Foundation, provided a significant boost to the development of archery in the region.

Thank you to all parties, especially the Djarum Foundation, for organizing this event as a platform for our children to compete and train themselves, both in preparation for becoming future coaches and athletes. The Kudus Regency Government will always support the coaching process so that they become athletes with commendable abilities who can compete on national and international stages," said Sam'ani.

Along with that, the Program Director of Djarum Foundation's Sports Bakti, Yoppy Rosimin, revealed that the second series saw a significant increase in the number of participants, soaring by over fifty percent compared to the first series in Kudus, which was attended by 428 archers. This increase, according to him, is real evidence that the interest and enthusiasm of young archery athletes in Indonesia continue to grow and develop very positively.

Therefore, the continued organization of the MilkLife Archery Challenge is a concrete commitment to strengthening the national archery ecosystem, from early childhood athlete development and improving competition quality to creating a space for talented individuals to grow.

This increase in the number of participants is excellent because it exceeded expectations by over eight hundred people. Beside quantity, we also want to maintain quality. We want to make this event not just a stage for competition, but an important platform in the long process of regenerating national archery athletes. Thru structured and continuous competition opportunities, we hope to advance this sport, especially in Kudus and Central Java, so that athletes can eventually compete with athletes from major cities like Semarang, Solo, and Yogyakarta," said Yoppy.

He also emphasized that hosting this tournament provides ample opportunities for athletes from diverse backgrounds to participate. "With an open system and consistent coaching, archery can grow, become popular, and be a favorite sport among young people," added Yoppy.

On the same occasion, the Deputy General Chairman II for Development and Achievement of PB Perpani, Abdul Razak, was also present as a form of support and attention to the development of national archery. He assessed that this event is an important benchmark for observing the growth in the number of participants as well as the quality of young athletes, thus having a positive impact on the Indonesian archery ecosystem.

We strongly support the events organized by MikLife and the Djarum Foundation, as the number of participants continues to grow. Not only from Kudus and the surrounding areas, but also from Central Java, East Java, and Yogyakarta. In addition, the quality of the young athletes also shows encouraging development, as evidenced by the surge in scores and technical abilities from year to year," he explained.

The Competitive Atmosphere is Increasingly Evident

The competition for the overall champion title in the MilkLife Archery Challenge Series 2 was fierce, with participants representing their respective schools performing exceptionally well, and points being neck and neck in every set. However, MI NU Banat Kudus managed to win and bring home the title of Overall Champion with a total of 6 medals, each from the individual sector (1 gold and 1 bronze) and the team sector (1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze). The head of MI NU Banat Faukhil Wardati revealed that her school fielded 52 athletes in this championship. Thanks to regular practice, they finally managed to achieve the highest score.

Praise be to Allah, and we are very proud of our students. They have been consistently and tenaciously training hard. Thank you to the teachers and also the parents. This is all thanks to the hard work of all of us. Thank you also to MilkLife and the Djarum Foundation for providing us with this opportunity and platform for such a championship," said Faukhil.

Meanwhile, in the National KU 15 women's match, Kori Rajwa Nuha Saputro from the Surakarta Special Sports School (SKO) successfully defeated her opponent, Shakila Queena Elrakha, with a set point of 6-2 (111-104). Trailing by one point in the boys' sector, Muhammad Keanu Refi Atallah from SD Muhammadiyah 1 Ngaglik Sleman managed to secure victory over Pascha Hiro Rianno (SMP Khusus Olahraga Surakarta) with a narrow set point of 6-4 (126-125). The final match was marked by intense competition as Keanu had fallen behind in the first set. While trying to catch up, Keanu actually lost one arrow that flew outside the target.

"I'm happy, but I was a bit nervous because my opponent had already won the first set. However, I was finally able to regain control and catch up." Although I'm not tall (in terms of physique), I'm confident in my preparation, which makes me feel prime and optimistic about winning the match," Keanu said.

Coach Hendra Purnama said that Keanu often participates in competitions and training camps, giving him more flight time than other archery athletes his age. Additionally, Keanu, who is 135 centimeters tall, has been trained in various aspects, including mental and physical, making him resilient when facing tough opponents.

From the preparation stage, Keanu's abilities can be said to be already mature. He participated in many tournaments and training camps in Yogyakarta. At the camp, we not only met the athletes' physical needs but also their technical, tactical, and mental needs, as we are preparing Keanu for the long term," explained Hendra.

Moving on to the National KU 12 Girls category, Faiha Qatrunnada Salsabila M. from SD Islam Al-Badar Tulungagung successfully became the champion after defeating Atha Felicia from SD IT Islamic Center Purwodadi with a set point of 6-2 (113-110). Meanwhile, in the boys' sector, Ahmad Alfath from SD IT Amal Insani Jepara defeated his opponent with a set point of 6-0 (87-81). Thus, Anschel Cahya Firasy from Tingkir Lor 2 Elementary School in Salatiga had to settle for the silver medal.

Meanwhile, in the National KU 10 Girls category, Butsaina Iftitah Naila Nandita from MI NU Banat Kudus secured a victory over Zalfa Zahrina Putri from SD Islam Al Azhar 60 Pekalongan with a set point of 7-3 (149-147). In the boys' sector, Alaric Asoka Prabaswara from MI Al-Mukmin Sragen defeated Restu Faqih Athaya from SD Aisyiyah Unggulan Gemolong at the set point 6-2 (113-110).

In the PVC KU 12 division match, in the women's sector, Srikandi from SD Islam Al Furqon Rembang, Azka Aulia Nurinnajwa, successfully came in first after scoring a set point of 6-0 (86-78) against Samita Lituhayu Widati from SDIT Al Ihsan Rembang. Meanwhile, in the boys' sector, Ahmad Maulana Umar Al Fatih from MI Muhammadiyah Al Tanbih became the champion after defeating Raihan Hafidz Al B from SD 1 Bae Kudus with a set point of 6-2 (115-107).

Moving on to the PVC KU 10 category, Qyara Farzana Permatasari from SD Khalifa IMS Semarang became the champion after winning by a narrow margin over Rafifa Atayani Cahyono from MIN Kudus, with a set point of 6-5 (133-124). After a draw in the third set, Elang Al Fatikh Sutikno from SD Islam Annawawiyah Rembang managed to take home the championship title after scoring a set point of 6-5 (144-146) against Devananda Bady Ramadhan from SIBI SD Ya Ummi Fatimah. This victory was achieved after the Eagle managed to outperform Devananda in the additional arrow shoot at the end of the match.

Not only individual complaints, the MilkLife Archery Challenge Series 2 2025 also features team formats representing schools. SMP Khusus Olahraga (SKO) Surakarta successfully dominated the team champion podium in the National U15 Boys and U15 Girls divisions, while SD Al Islam Pengkol Jepara (National U12 Girls), SDIT Umar Bin Khathab Pati (National U12 Boys), SD IT Assalam Bandungan (National U10 Girls), SD Aisyiyah Unggulan Gemolong (National U10 Boys), SDIT Al Ihsan Rembang (PVC U12 Girls), SD Masehi Kudus (PVC U12 Boys), MI NU Banat Kudus (PVC U10 Girls), and SDIT Umar Bin Khathab Pati (PVC U10 Boys) also achieved victory.