Successfully Donating 10 Players For The U-19 National Team, Mola TV Again Holds The Garuda Select Program

Bagus Kahfi (right) while still joining the Garuda Select program. Now Bagus plays for the Dutch league's top division team, FC Utrecht. (Doc. Mola TV)

JAKARTA - The Garuda Select soccer reality show program was again produced by Mola TV after being stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Garuda Select program, which was worked on by Djarum's streaming TV, had already run for 4 seasons, before being stopped due to the pandemic.

During the four seasons aired, the Garuda Select program has produced good results for the development of young Indonesian soccer players. Two names that emerged from the Garuda Select coaching were Bagus Kahfi and Witan Sulaiman.

Bagus, who once entered the U-19 national team, is now joining the Dutch League's top division club, FC Utrecht. The 20-year-old player entered the Utrecht youth team, otherwise known as Jong Utrecht.

Another player whose name is bright is Witan. The 20-year-old Garuda Select alumnus is a mainstay attacking midfielder for the Indonesian senior national team. Witan currently joins the Polish League first division team, Lechia Gdansk.

Before joining Lechia, Witan played for one season in the Serbian League. He joined the team of Radnik Surdulica. The player from Palu is currently on loan by Lechia to the Slovak League's top division team, FK Senica.

The latest success of the Garuda Select program is the contribution of 10 players to the U-19 national team. The ten players are: Erlangga Setyo and Yogi Hermawan in the goalkeeper position, Kakang Rudianto (defender), Subhan Fajri, Frezy Al Hudaifi, and Rafli Asruld (midfielder), Arsa Ramadan Ahmad, Alfrianto Nico Saputro, Bramdani, and Ferdiansyah (forward).

The U-19 national team is currently training in South Korea, under the tutelage of coach Shin Tae-yong.

“The reason the Garuda Select project was re-implemented was to see if we could provide a more challenging path for youth to develop themselves. That way, we can invite them to join when they are 16 years old, and take them to the level they dream of," said Mirwan Suwarso, CEO of Mola TV in a release received by VOI.

In the current 5th season, Garuda Select is still managed by two former England national team players, Dennis Wise and Des Walker. The Indonesian players were screened from PSSI's official U-16 competitions, such as the Suratin Cup.

All costs during training in the UK are borne by Mola TV. Garuda Select players don't pay anything, instead they get pocket money. In one season, the training program is followed by 22-24 selected young players and lasts for 6 months. They were housed in a hostel belonging to Loughborough University in Loughborough, near Leicester.