August 10th, 2026 | Broadcast
Bayan Group, through Bayan Peduli, has teamed up with Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation to stage the MilkLife Soccer Challenge (MLSC) Series 2, an early-age girls’ football tournament, in Samarinda and Banjarmasin. One of the best players from Samarinda has been confirmed for the squad heading to SingaCup 2026.
Samarinda – Bayan Group, through Bayan Peduli, has collaborated with Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation to successfully hold the early-age girls’ football tournament MilkLife Soccer Challenge (MLSC) Series 2 in Samarinda and Banjarmasin.
The event made history as the first year the MLSC tournament landed in East Kalimantan Province.
The competition involved 1,303 girls from 93 Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (Islamic primary schools) and primary schools. They were divided into 124 teams, made up of 60 Age Group (KU) 10 teams and 64 KU 12 teams from the two cities.
Bayan Group director Merlin expressed her pride in the enthusiasm shown by the participants throughout the tournament. According to her, the competition runs in step with the company’s larger vision.
Bayan Group, through Bayan Peduli, remains committed to realising our vision of ’Real Work, Building the Nation’ by creating an inclusive platform for local talents to shine on the national and international stage.
Merlin, Director, Bayan Group
She stressed that the tournament is not merely about chasing titles, but about building the character, discipline and courage of the younger generation.
Similar praise came from MLSC Program Director Teddy Tjahjono, who said Samarinda has enormous potential for long-term development even though it is a debut city.
The enthusiasm of the girls in Samarinda is extraordinary. We saw a very high fighting spirit, courage and willingness to learn. This is an important asset for the development of the women’s football ecosystem in East Kalimantan.
Teddy Tjahjono, Program Director, MLSC
South Kalimantan officials at the final
Present at the final, South Kalimantan Deputy Governor and Chair of the PSSI South Kalimantan Provincial Association, H. Hasnuryadi Sulaiman, praised the tournament as an answer to the high interest in girls’ football in Banjarmasin.
I urge parents and teachers not to focus only on instant achievements, but to prepare their daughters to become outstanding human resources heading toward Golden Indonesia 2045.
H. Hasnuryadi Sulaiman
From regional series to the national stage
The tournament continued to the national level, with 192 athletes chosen from 12 cities across Indonesia sent to compete in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Stars, held on 24-28 June 2026 in Kudus, Central Java.
MilkLife Soccer Challenge head coach Jacksen F. Tiago explained that competition this year was far more even and competitive. He projects the All-Stars as an important bridge opening the way for Indonesian women footballers to international-scale tournaments.
The best girls will be prepared to represent Indonesia at the international SingaCup 2026 in Singapore for KU 12 and KU 14, which will run from 31 October to 7 November 2026.
Jacksen F. Tiago
Notably, one of the best female players of the All-Star team from Samarinda is confirmed to have passed selection and will strengthen the Merah Putih squad to compete in the Lion City.
The achievement, the article concludes, shows that tiered development outside Java has produced real results in finding the best potential among girl footballers from an early age.
Source: Bisnis.com
