MLSC Wins Grassroots Development Program of The Year at PSSI Awards

JAKARTA - MilkLife Soccer Challenge (MLSC) managed to win the award as the Grassroots Development Program of The Year at the PSSI Awards 2026 event which took place at the weekend.

Program Director of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge, Teddy Tjahjono, who received the award said that the appreciation from PSSI was an injection of motivation for them as organizers.

"In the future, we hope that the MilkLife Soccer Challenge can reach more young talents who can be honed into professional female footballers and can strengthen the national team," said Teddy.

MLSC is a girls' youth football program initiated by the Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation and MilkLife. The competition aims to motivate and move the younger generation to love and excel in girls' football.

Currently, the implementation of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge has reached 12 cities in Indonesia, namely Jakarta, Tangerang, Bekasi, Bandung, Semarang, Kudus, Solo, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Malang, Samarinda, and Banjarmasin.

"This award is dedicated to the late Mr. Michael Bambang Hartono and Robert Budi Hartono who are serious about building the foundation for sports development carried out by the Djarum Foundation and for all parties who work behind the scenes for the success of the MilkLife Soccer Challenge," said Teddy.

This PSSI Award is the first time it has been held since PSSI was founded 95 years ago. The event, which provides as many as 17 award categories, has received a positive response from various circles.

The Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, said the PSSI Awards are not just an awards night, but a form of appreciation for all parties who contribute to building Indonesian football.

"This stage is to appreciate the heroes on the green field. Not only players, but also referees, PSSI provinces, sponsors, communities, and many other parties who continue to work from the grassroots level to the achievement of football," said Erick.

In addition to being spread across many cities in Indonesia, the number of participants in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge also shows a positive trend with an increase in each series. In Series I 2024, 5,163 participants were recorded and Series II 2024 increased to 10,051 students.

A sharp spike then occurred in the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Series I 2025-2026 which recorded 17,492 participants. So, overall, the MilkLife Soccer Challenge has been attended by 32,706 prospective national female soccer players since the first time the competition was held.

In addition to the 10-year-old and 12-year-old age groups, the MilkLife Soccer Challenge also presents the SenengSoccer Festival for the eight-year-old age group as well as skill challenges which are a means of introducing and developing basic football skills from an early age.

After the two series are completed in all the host cities, the program will be closed with the MilkLife Soccer Challenge All-Stars.

Meanwhile, the MilkLife Soccer Challenge Series II 2025-2026 will continue on April 23-26, 2026 in Samarinda.