Freeport Grassroots Tournament 2026 in Jayapura Nurtures Football Talent Among Papua's Children
Jayapura, 21 April 2026 - The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) continue to develop youth football talent in Papua through the Freeport Grassroots Tournament (FGT) 2026, held at Mandala Stadium, Jayapura, Papua, on 17–18 April 2026.
"I appreciate PT Freeport Indonesia's participation in consistently supporting the advancement of Indonesian football. This trust reinforces PSSI's commitment to continuously developing youth football — through competition, collaboration, and quality coaching, all of which are critically important and have a positive impact on the development of young players," said PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir.
PTFI Senior Vice President (SVP) of Community Development Nathan Kum said Freeport continues to support the development of Papua's human resources toward a Thriving Papua, including through sports. "This competition serves as an important learning space for children to understand the values of sportsmanship, fair play, and respect as the foundational pillars of character building," said Nathan.
He added that through this tournament, PTFI aims to deliver a quality competitive experience that upholds discipline, integrity, and the spirit of togetherness. "We hope the children go home feeling joyful, with a stronger mindset and the motivation to keep training and improving," he said.
Each year, the FGT is held in Jayapura City, Papua Province, and Gresik Regency, East Java Province. The tournament awards championship titles in the U-10 and U-12 categories, as well as fair play awards for each category.
In terms of format, the competition uses a 7-a-side system, with each team allowed to register a maximum of 15 players. Matches are played over 2 × 15 minutes with a 5-minute break, and unlimited substitutions are permitted.
The tournament was held intensively over two days. In the U-10 category, SSB Nafri emerged as champions, followed by SSB Orion Star Sentani in second place, SSB Tunas Muda Hamadi in third, and SSB Volta PLN in fourth. Several individual awards were also presented: Best Player went to Arkiles Fonataba (SSB Tunas Muda Hamadi), Best Goalkeeper to Herman Isak Manggaprouw (SSB Nafri), and the Team Fair Play award to SSB Petra Sentani.
In the U-12 category, SSB Putra Yeabhu claimed first place, followed by SSB Nafri in second, SSB Batik in third, and SSB Waena in fourth. Individual U-12 awards went to Sem Stenly Neymar Msen (SSB Nafri) as Best Player, Frits Tokoro (SSB Putra Yeabhu) as Best Goalkeeper, and the Team Fair Play award to SSB Nafri.
In addition to the football tournament, FGT 2026 also distributed 300 pairs of football boots to SSBs in Jayapura, 400 pairs to SSBs in Timika, and 300 pairs to SSBs in Gresik. "I'm happy to be part of FGT because I received new football boots. It makes me more motivated to train," said FGT participant Dominic Pahabol from SSB Volta.
FGT 2026 in Jayapura attracted more than 300 children and marked the third edition since the event was first held two years ago. "The development work carried out by Freeport Indonesia is extraordinary. Through its football academy, many players have already had the opportunity to compete abroad. This is tangible proof of PTFI's contribution in partnership with PSSI to grow football in Eastern Indonesia, particularly in Papua," said Papua PSSI Chairman Benhur Tomi Mano.
He urged parents to continue supporting and encouraging children who show potential in football. "That potential is not only for Papua, but also for Indonesia to shine on the world football stage in the future," he added.
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