Aceh – Indonesia, The Indonesian Mini Football Committee (KSMI) of Aceh Province has begun preparations for the 2026 Santri Championship to be held in Banda Aceh. The tournament also serves as a selection process to choose the best Islamic boarding school student (santri) team to represent Aceh at the national level in Depok, West Java.
The preparation phase kicked off with the first organizational meeting of the Aceh KSMI board held in Banda Aceh on Saturday (10/3/2026). During the meeting, the board discussed the 2026 Santri Championship preparations, participant recruitment, selection mechanisms, and the readiness of the Aceh team to compete nationally.
The Chairman of Aceh KSMI, Muktarrudin Usman, SE., stated that the 2026 Santri Championship is part of an effort to nurture and identify mini football talent among santri.
“We at Aceh KSMI will hold the 2026 Santri Championship in Banda Aceh. Ultimately, the winners will represent Aceh to compete in Depok, West Java, from October 28 to 31, 2026,” said Muktarrudin.
He mentioned that the provincial selection in Aceh is scheduled for October 9-10, 2026. With limited preparation time, the Aceh KSMI management has started moving to recruit potential participants.
A number of dayah and Islamic boarding schools in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar will receive invitation letters to participate in the 2026 Santri Championship. Participants will compete in mini football matches while emphasizing sportsmanship.
“We will soon call upon the selection participants. God willing, we will send out the letters this coming Monday,” he said.
Meanwhile, the technical meeting (TM) for participants is scheduled for Wednesday (10/7/2026) at the Aceh KSMI Secretariat. The meeting will cover technical match regulations, participants, and competition rules to ensure all teams share a clear understanding.
The selection results will serve as the basis for Aceh KSMI in determining the squad sent to the national competition in Depok. Thus, the 2026 Santri Championship serves not only as a tournament but also as an opportunity for santri from various dayah to gain match experience and develop their mini football skills.
The initial Aceh KSMI meeting also formed part of the management’s early consolidation. The board discussed task division and various technical preparations to ensure every phase of the event runs smoothly.
On that occasion, Aceh KSMI also distributed official uniforms to its leadership. Aceh KSMI Chairman Muktarrudin Usman handed over the uniforms to Aceh KSMI Secretary Muhammad Zubir, SH., MH., and Aceh KSMI Treasurer Mariadi, ST., MM.
The uniform presentation was an effort to strengthen solidarity and establish the identity of the Aceh KSMI management in executing various organizational agendas, including preparations for the 2026 Santri Championship.
Muktarrudin hopes that all board members will collaborate in preparing for the tournament. He also expects this championship to serve as a platform for santri to enhance their skills, gain competition experience, and unlock opportunities to achieve success in mini football.
“We want this competition to run smoothly and fairly. Most importantly, we want to select the best team to represent Aceh nationally,” he said.
Ahead of the event, Aceh KSMI continues to prepare each stage of the tournament. Sending invitations to dayah and Islamic boarding schools, holding the technical meeting, and conducting the selection process are all part of the efforts to assemble the squad deemed most ready to represent Aceh in Depok.
The 2026 Santri Championship in Banda Aceh is expected to be a platform for santri to demonstrate their abilities while serving as the initial step for Aceh’s mini football talent to perform on the national stage.