They advanced to the semifinals after going through the preliminary round which was held since Thursday, July 28, 2022.

The Chairperson of the Organizing Committee for the Bandung City Women's Football Tournament, Diah Hidayah said, the game system this time used half a competition with two games.

"From the original 32 teams that were screened, 24 teams will be re-elected, so 8 teams will enter the semifinals," said Diah.

The teams will be divided into two categories, namely top grade and middle grade. There are 1-3 winners in each of these categories.

Top grade is a level category when a team wins two matches. Meanwhile, if one of the matches loses, then the team will enter the middle grade level.

"The game is 7 against 7 with a duration of 2 x 10 minutes. For tomorrow, the semifinals and finals will be 2 x 15 minutes. This match is likely to last until 14.30 WIB," he said.

This women's soccer tournament is the first match held by PSSI Bandung City. The purpose of this match is to serve as the initial gate for socialization for the community regarding women's careers in the world of football, which has become increasingly wide open.

"This tournament aims to socialize women's football to the smallest layers, from RT, RW, kelurahan in recruiting prospective athletes who strengthen their respective sub-districts. So we haven't done an in-depth selection yet. However, we still have hope that we can find seeds -the seeds of players from each sub-district," he said.

Diah admitted that all sub-districts were 100 percent involved in delegating women's soccer team representatives from their respective neighborhoods. In fact, there are two sub-districts that send two teams directly. The age range of these athletes starts from 13-17 years.

According to him, this is proof that women's football has become an industry that will continue to advance. Therefore, it is necessary to have support from all stakeholders in facilitating the athletes.

"The enthusiasm was enormous beyond our expectations. There were 352 athletes who took part because each team sent a minimum of 10 people and a maximum of 14 athletes," he said.

Indeed, not all participants are pure athletes, there are also some participants who have a hobby of sports or an interest in football and want to participate in trying to feel the sensation of competition on the field.

This spirit, for Diah, can attract new athletes to play in Porda and the national team.

"We want to change the paradigm of society if women's football is more developed. There is no longer a term this is just a game for men because these female athletes also play without leaving their nature as a woman," said Diah.

"They play beautifully on the field, the sport is also good. I am optimistic that the city of Bandung can be a barometer for women's football," he added.

Moreover, currently the Bandung City PSSI Association already has a permanent committee specifically for women's football. Thus, Diah appealed to female athletes to find a place to practice through soccer schools (SSB) and other academies that have spread widely in the city of Bandung.

He added that the training and coaching for female athletes should not only focus on technical skills, but also on soft skills and character.

"Please foster these athletes not only their technical skills because they are teenagers who need to be helped to find their identity and purpose in life. It is hoped that the provision for them can also be focused on their morals and life skills," he hoped.

So, this soccer circle can be a forum for the younger generation, especially women, in their careers. Diah said, if the role of women is still very much needed in several positions in the world of football, especially as a licensed referee.

"The number of licensed referees, especially women, is still very small. This is also a factor if we can still develop the women's football industry because careers for women in the world of football are not only athletes, but also referees," he explained. .

Regarding tomorrow's semifinal and final matches, he said, the athletes who made it into the top three would receive coaching money. Not only that, other players also get savings accounts and balances. Although it's not too much, it is hoped that it will be able to teach athletes to save and manage their finances.

"When we talk about who will win, we can't predict yet. Maybe as soon as we enter the semifinals. So far, the enthusiasm and high scores from the Cicendo team, Cibeunying and several others are also good," he said.

So far, the few teams that made it through In the match against Antapani, Rancasari won with a score of 3-0. Then competed with Cicendo with a draw score.

"But because previously Cicendo only entered 2-0 against Antapani, so they lost on goal difference to us. Finally it was Rancasari who was selected to advance to the semifinals," he added. (din)**

Head of the Bandung City Communication and Information Technology

Yayan A. Brilyana