Debut in Banjarmasin Welcomed with Enthusiasm, Positive Signal for the Revival of Women's Football

MilkLife Soccer Challenge (MLSC) Banjarmasin Series 2 2025 – 2026 organized by Bayan Peduli at Green Yakin Soccer Field, Banjar, South Kalimantan from April 30 to May 3 has found its champions. In the U10 category, SDN Pagatan Besar successfully became the champion after winning 1-0 against SDN Sungai Andai 4. Meanwhile, in the U12 category, SDN Sungai Lulut 1 managed to take the top podium after defeating SDN Telaga Biru 1 with a score of 1-0.

MilkLife Soccer Challenge Banjarmasin Series 2 2025 – 2026 was participated by 661 participants from 49 Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) and Elementary Schools (SD) from Banjarmasin and its surroundings. They are grouped into 62 teams, consisting of 30 KU 10 teams and 32 KU 12 teams.

The Deputy Governor of South Kalimantan, who also serves as the Chairman of the South Kalimantan PSSI Association, H. Hasnuryadi Sulaiman, directly witnessed the final match on Sunday (3/5) and welcomed the successful organization of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge in Banjarmasin with joy. According to him, this tournament is the answer for the daughters of Banjarmasin who have a high interest in football but still have few tournaments.

"We are looking for the best talents so that women's football can achieve proud accomplishments in the future." It should be remembered that your main task is to study, but one of the foundations is to live healthily supported by exercising and proper nutrition. I invite parents and teachers not to focus solely on instant achievements, but to prepare their daughters to become superior human resources in welcoming Indonesia Gold 2045. Thank you to all parties who have supported the success of this tournament," said Hasnuryadi.

The Director of PT Bayan Resources Tbk, Merlin, admitted to being impressed by the enthusiasm of the participants and the support from various stakeholders for the MilkLife Soccer Challenge, which is being held for the first time in Banjarmasin. Merlin emphasized that his team, along with the Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation and MilkLife, who initiated this tournament, has a strong commitment to fostering a love for soccer from an early age, which is believed to build character, sportsmanship, and strengthen teamwork and discipline.

"The inaugural MilkLife Soccer Challenge in Banjarmasin received a positive response from many parties. This was evident from the number of participants involved, reaching 661 female students." MLSC is one of the most suitable programs for producing future female football athletes. Hopefully, this will be the starting point for more measurable, sustainable, and focused development. In line with Bayan Peduli's vision of 'Real Work, Build the Nation,' we hope to see more future female football stars who will make our homeland proud," said Merlin.

Head Coach of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge, Jacksen F Tiago, believes that the development of women's soccer in Indonesia, including in South Kalimantan, requires ongoing support from various parties, especially in providing training facilities and early-age competitions. Continuing the spirit shown in the previous event in Samarinda, the MilkLife Soccer Challenge is not only present as a competition but also as part of a tiered development process that opens opportunities for female talents to grow and be monitored.

"As we saw last week in Samarinda, the enthusiasm and potential of female players in Kalimantan are very high." This must be maintained by providing more training space and consistent competitions. The goal of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge being here is to popularize women's soccer in Banjarmasin. We urge that in the near future, more soccer schools focus on developing female players," said Jacksen.

Furthermore, the Director of the Borneo FC Academy emphasized that this tournament is one of the important stages in scouting the best players who will eventually be projected to the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Stars. He hopes that the continuation of this program can strengthen the women's football ecosystem in the region, while also paving the way for the emergence of potential talents who can compete at the national level.

"This event is not just a tournament, but part of a long-term selection and development process." Players who perform outstandingly will have the opportunity to step up to the next level, including joining the MLSC All-Stars. This serves as an additional motivation for the participants to continue developing. If this consistency is maintained, it is not impossible for regions like South Kalimantan to follow in the footsteps of other areas in producing quality female players," he added.

Jacksen and the coaching staff curated around 25 of the best players from the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Banjarmasin Series 2 2025 - 2026 to participate in MilkLife Soccer Extra Training, an intensive additional training program planned to be held three times a week. Starting on Monday (4/5), the training is conducted to hone both technical skills and competitive mentality to catch up with other cities that have already started and held two series of tournaments. Banjarmasin is also confirmed to participate in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Stars 2026, scheduled to take place from June 24 to 28, 2026, in Kudus, Central Java, facing representatives from 11 other cities.

Intense Rivalry for the Podium

The struggle of the daughters of Banjarmasin in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge reached its climax thru two final matches in the U10 and U12 categories. Exciting and tense matches were evident from every team competing on the field. Not only that, the parents and all the supporters of each school competing in the final also kept cheering to provide support for the students who were playing.

From the KU 10 final match category, SDN Pagatan Besar emerged as the champion of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Banjarmasin Series 2 2025 - 2026 after securing a narrow 1-0 victory against SDN Sungai Andai 4. The lack of goals scored was due to the balanced strength of both teams, both in attacking and defending.

SDN Pagatan Besar striker, Miftahul Gina, stood out as a key player, leading her team to victory in the final match. His keen ability to exploit open gaps allowed him to score a goal into the SDN Sungai Andai 4 net in the 27th minute. The single goal also solidified this player with the number 10 jersey as the top scorer (12 goals) in the U10 category.

"I am very happy because our school became the champion. The match was really tough in the final, luckily I was able to score a goal. (This success) makes me want to keep achieving so I can become famous as a female football athlete," said Gina.

Meanwhile, in the KU 12 final match, the SDN Sungai Lulut 1 team took the top podium after surprising everyone by defeating SDN Telaga Biru 1 with a score of 1-0. Throughout the match, SDN Sungai Lulut was busy playing defensively, fending off wave after wave of attacks from SDN Telaga Biru.

The team coached by Sirajuddin Noor was able to play effectively by maximizing one of the few opportunities they had into a goal. The decisive goal for SDN Sungai Lulut 1 was scored by Ade Septiyana Putri in the 8th minute with a long-range shot from outside the penalty box that the SDN Telaga Biru goalkeeper could not anticipate.

"In the final match, my friends and I were a bit nervous because the opponent played well and kept attacking." I am very grateful because one of my kicks turned into a goal, which boosted the team's confidence. "After becoming champions, I hope to be selected as one of the players to represent Banjarmasin in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Stars next month," said the player with the number 10 jersey.

List of Winners of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Banjarmasin Series 2 2025 - 2026:

Age Category 10
Champion : SDN Pagatan Besar
Runner-up : SDN Sungai Andai 4
Semifinalists : SDN Seberang Masjid 1 and SDN Belitung Selatan 5
Top Scorer : Miftahul Gina - SDN Pagatan Besar (12 goals)
Best Player : Adelia Safitri - SDN Sungai Andai 4
Best Goalkeeper : Naira Aminnova Aliya Balqis - SDN Gambut 1
Fairplay Team : SDN Murung Raya 3

Age Category 12
Champion : SDN Sungai Lulut 1
Runner-up : SDN Telaga Biru 1
Semifinalists : SDN Belitung Selatan 1 and SDN Kuripan 2
Top Scorer : Hanna Aulia Tri Apsari - SDN Seberang Masjid 1 (12 goals)
Best Player : Noor Laili - SDN Telaga Biru 1
Best Goalkeeper : Risqa Salsabila - SDN Telaga Biru 1
Fairplay Team : SDN Pengambangan 9

Visit www.milklifesoccer.com to see the schedule, match results, standings, and the list of goal scorers for the MilkLife Soccer Challenge. And follow the MilkLife Soccer Challenge social media accounts (Instagram @milklifesoccer, TikTok @milklifesoccer, YouTube @milklifesoccer) to get interesting information about the development of women's soccer.