Aceh – Indonesia, The hunt for tickets to the national stage is about to begin. The Indonesian Mini Football Committee (KSMI) of Aceh Province is preparing the 2026 Santri Championship in Banda Aceh as both a competition and a selection event to recruit the best Islamic student team to represent Aceh nationally.
Preparations for the tournament were marked by the inaugural meeting of the KSMI Aceh board in Banda Aceh on Saturday (3/10/2026). The meeting discussed several crucial agendas, particularly preparations for the 2026 Santri Championship, participant recruitment, selection mechanisms, and the readiness of the team to be sent representing Aceh to Depok, West Java.
The Chairman of KSMI Aceh, Muktarrudin Usman, SE., stated that the 2026 Santri Championship plays a vital role in nurturing and scouting mini football talent among Islamic boarding school students (santri).
“We at KSMI Aceh will host the 2026 Santri Championship in Banda Aceh. Ultimately, the winners will represent Aceh to compete in Depok, West Java, on October 28-31, 2026,” said Muktarrudin.
According to him, the provincial-level selection in Aceh is scheduled for October 9-10, 2026. Due to the relatively tight timeline, the committee immediately moved forward with preparations and participant outreach.
KSMI Aceh will send official invitations to several dayahs and Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) across Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar to join the 2026 Santri Championship. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their best abilities in mini football matches while upholding sportsmanship.
“We will summon the selection candidates immediately. God willing, we will send out the letters this coming Monday,” he said.
Prior to the tournament, a technical meeting (TM) for participants is scheduled for Wednesday (7/10/2026) at the KSMI Aceh Secretariat. The meeting is an essential step to align technical understandings regarding match rules, participants, and tournament regulations.
Through this process, KSMI Aceh will prepare the best team to compete at the national level in Depok. Therefore, the 2026 Santri Championship serves not only as a tournament, but also as a gateway for young talents from traditional Islamic boarding schools (dayah) to gain broader competitive experience.
The inaugural meeting also served as an initial consolidation moment for the KSMI Aceh leadership. Board members discussed division of tasks and technical readiness to ensure the entire event series runs in an organized manner.
On the same occasion, KSMI Aceh officially handed over organizational uniforms. The Chairman of KSMI Aceh, Muktarrudin Usman, presented the uniforms to the Secretary of KSMI Aceh, Muhammad Zubir, SH., MH., and the Treasurer of KSMI Aceh, Mariadi, ST., MM.
The uniform presentation was part of strengthening solidarity and the organizational identity of KSMI Aceh in executing its agenda, including preparations for the 2026 Santri Championship.
Muktarrudin expressed hope that all board members could work together to prepare the competition. He also hopes the tournament will serve as a platform for santri to develop their skills, build match experience, and expand their opportunities to achieve through mini football.
“We want this competition to run smoothly and sportingly. Most importantly, we want to secure the best team to represent Aceh at the national level,” he said.
With the event approaching quickly, KSMI Aceh is now finalizing all stages. Official letters to dayahs and pesantren will be sent immediately, the technical meeting is being set up, while the player and team selection processes are aimed at producing Aceh representatives who are truly ready to compete in Depok.
From Banda Aceh, the hunt begins. The 2026 Santri Championship is expected to become the stage for the emergence of Aceh’s mini football talents and the first step toward national-level competition. []