MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 Batch 3 Involves Male Players to Accelerate Early-Age Female Soccer Skills

KUDUS, 18 December 2023 - MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 is set to return on 15-17 December 2023, at Supersoccer Arena in Rendeng, Kudus, Central Java. Notably, in the batch 3 female soccer tournament, female students in the U-10 age group (20 teams) and U-12 age group (20 teams) compete alongside male students through a 7 vs. 7 match system, with a team composition of five female players and two male players on the field. 

Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation Program Director, Yoppy Rosimin explained that the adjustments made to the player lineup in MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 Batch 3 aim to expedite the enhancement of skills among female students. This initiative is designed to nurture their talents, ultimately preparing them for careers as professional female soccer players. By participating alongside male players in the same team, it is expected to improve female players' techniques in playing soccer, foster greater confidence, agility, and competitiveness on the soccer field.

“The inclusion of male players is aimed at improving the technical skills, sportsmanship, competitive spirit, and determination of female players in playing soccer. Additionally, it is intended to motivate female soccer players to showcase their best abilities and prove that they are equally skilled as their male counterparts. This approach has already been successfully implemented in Japan and America to promote the development of women’s soccer in schools,” stated Yoppy in a media gathering session held on Friday (15/12). 

Aside from adjustments to player compositions, there is something else that sets MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 Batch 3 apart from the previous two editions. In this edition, the participants in the competition are female students who were selected through talent scouting during MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 Batch 2 held at the end of last August. Consequently, in this tournament, they are not representing their respective schools, as participants on one team are from various different schools.

Additionally, to foster a passion for the nation's culture and local wisdom, the team names in MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 Batch 3 draw inspiration from characters in the world of wayang, a traditional Javanese puppetry, such as Nakula, Sadewa, Arjuna, Srikandi, Abimanyu, and Shinta. The match duration remains unchanged at 2x10 minutes with a 5-minute break. Participants in this tournament hail from Kudus, Jepara, Pati, Rembang, and Demak, comprising a total of 478 early childhood participants, with 324 girls and 154 boys.

Global Dairi Alami Marketing Manager Nugroho Santoso explained that MilkLife's commitment in this tournament is aimed to improve the well-being of young Indonesians by providing them with nutritious nutrition and wholeheartedly endorsing positive health-related activities, particularly in sports. Following MilkLife tagline #BeraniMinumSusu (Dare to Drink Milk), it is anticipated that the hundreds of participants in MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 Batch 3 will bravely engage in soccer, aspiring to achieve their dreams of becoming professional soccer players in the future.

“We hope that the new concept to MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 Batch 3 will inspire all participants, especially the female students, to continue developing and showcasing their utmost potential. Participation in sports, coupled with proper nutritional support like MilkLife, contributes to the overall health and well-being of children. Best of luck to all participants in the competition!,” stated Nugroho.

Meanwhile, Timo Scheunemann explained that, before the three-day competition scheduled for 15 to 17 December 2023, the entire U-10 and U-12 teams had been undergoing regular training for approximately two months. Although the composition of mixed-gender teams in football development is still relatively rare in Indonesia, according to the football coach who obtained the UEFA A coaching license in Cologne, Germany, in 2007, this opportunity is part of the correct acceleration strategy for the development of girls' football talent.

“This is part of the thinking to accelerate the development of female players. Indeed, this is still very rare. An example is Claudia Scheunemann; she participated as the only female player in a men's league competition. The results have been proven: female players develop faster when playing with males. Now, the difference is that usually, females are inserted into male teams, but here it's the opposite; male players are joining female teams,” expressed Timo.

Support for the development of female soccer is not only coming from the Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation and MilkLife but also from one of Indonesia's private banks, BCA. BCA is committed to supporting this initiative by providing education savings for winners of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge in a series of tournaments until the end of December 2024. This support is an expression of appreciation for the best athletes in the field of female soccer and underscores the company's dedication to advancing the sport in Indonesia. Additionally, BCA is offering a special edition of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge flazz, which can be purchased at Supersoccer Arena in Kudus.

“We hope for the continued development and increasing success of women's soccer in Indonesia at the national level. Furthermore, we envision the MilkLife Soccer Challenge as a key platform for nurturing female soccer athletes in the country. We aim for it to consistently offer genuine encouragement to young players, motivating them to achieve their best on and off the field,” said Fandy, BCA Vice President.

Apart from consistently hosting the MilkLife Soccer Challenge tournament, MilkLife, in collaboration with the Djarum Foundation, is actively organizing coaching clinics for elementary school sports teachers. By the end of 2023, at least 245 teachers from schools in Kudus, Jakarta, Tangerang, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Solo, and Surabaya have received training directly supervised by Coach Timo Scheunemann. Going beyond this, MilkLife and Djarum Foundation also have plans to conduct the MilkLife Soccer Challenge tournament in those cities next year.

Building the Future of Indonesian Women's Soccer, BCA Supports MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 Batch 3 - BCA Vice President Fandy (second left) along with GDA Milklife Marketing Manager Nugroho Santoso (left), Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation Program Director Yoppy Rosimin (second right), and Coach Timo Scheunemann (right) at the press conference of MilkLife Soccer Challenge 2023 Batch 3. BCA;s participation in this event is a part of the company’s commitment to support Indonesian women's soccer athletes. BCA hopes that this support can serve as a foundation for the development and continued success of women’s soccer in Indonesia at the national level.