Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation and MilkLife are once again presenting early-age badminton development through the MilkLife Festival SenengMinton 2026 event in Magelang.
Packaged in an interactive and fun badminton-themed game, as many as 480 students from grades 1 to 3 from 16 Elementary Schools and Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) in Magelang City and its surroundings took part in the event supported by the Central Java Provincial Management of the Indonesian Badminton Association.
Magelang is the second city to host the 2026 MilkLife Festival SenengMinton, following Purwokerto in April. The festival will also visit three other cities in Central Java: Solo.
Djarum Foundation's Bakti Olahraga Program Director, Yoppy Rosimin, stated in an official statement in Jakarta on Thursday that the event was a structured and systematic step in strengthening the badminton ecosystem to maintain the continuity of athlete regeneration.
With a competition with a fun games concept , the team hopes to foster a love for badminton, while also paving the way for future strong and reliable athletes.
"We want to first provide a fun experience so that students can love and be interested in learning more about badminton," he said.
Yoppy stated that his team believes that when children's interest grows, the coaching process can run optimally, leading to the birth of a generation of athletes to continue the tradition of Indonesian badminton achievements at the world level.
Meanwhile, the General Chairperson of the Central Java PBSI Provincial Executive Board, Basri Yusuf, assessed that the MilkLife Festival SenengMinton, which came to a number of regions that are badminton seed barns, had a positive impact on the development process starting from the grassroots level.
According to him, identifying potential does not only rely on clubs, but also involves the role of schools and parents in directing the talents of future generations of athletes to develop further.
"Although participants don't compete in this event, they learn about basic physical and technical skills, which are part of the long-term athlete development process," he said.
Basri emphasized the importance of parental support for children's individual development. He hopes the MilkLife Festival SenengMinton will foster the development of young badminton players who will eventually progress to higher levels.
Winners of each competition at the 2026 MilkLife Festival SenengMinton received trophies, prize money, and prizes from sponsors MilkLife, Dua Kelinci, Aice, Hundred, and various Savoria products. All participants and teachers also received goodie bags from the sponsors.
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