North Sumatra Student Volleyball League Targets International Sporting Success

DELI SERDANG | INDATANEWS.COM - The North Sumatra Provincial Government is stepping up efforts to develop sporting talent from school age, with the aim of producing high-performing athletes capable of competing at national and international level. One of the key initiatives is the 2026 North Sumatra Governor's Cup Student Volleyball League, which brings together teams from 20 regencies and cities across the province.

North Sumatra Deputy Governor Surya hopes the competition will serve not only as a tournament for determining champions but also as a starting point for the sustained development of young volleyball players. Through the event, the provincial government aims to identify promising talent that could strengthen North Sumatra's sporting achievements in the years ahead.

Surya expressed this ambition when he officially opened the 2026 North Sumatra Governor's Cup Student Volleyball League at the Indoor Volleyball Sports Centre in Sena Village, Batang Kuis District, Deli Serdang Regency, on Monday, 9 November 2026.

"Training and development must not come to an end when the competition finishes. Athletes with potential must continue to be monitored and evaluated, and given opportunities to develop through PBVSI, clubs and regional sports development programmes," Surya said in his address.

Athlete Development Must Continue Beyond the Competition

According to Surya, the success of a sporting competition should not be measured solely by the matches held or the selection of winners. More importantly, organisers must ensure that talented athletes have opportunities to improve their abilities through structured development programmes.

He believes student competitions are an important means of identifying sporting talent from an early age. For that reason, cooperation between regional governments, the Indonesian Volleyball Federation (PBVSI), sports clubs, schools and other stakeholders must be strengthened to ensure that young athletes' potential is not lost once a tournament ends.

Alongside sporting achievement, Surya also highlighted the role of sport in shaping the character of younger generations. Sporting activities, he said, provide a positive environment in which young people can develop discipline, responsibility, teamwork and healthy lifestyles.

He also warned that students face various social challenges, including drug abuse, risky social behaviour, student brawls and acts of violence. He therefore urged young people to make productive use of their school years by taking part in sporting activities and pursuing their education.

Surya hopes participants will make sport an integral part of their daily lives. Through discipline and a determination to succeed, students are expected to grow into a generation that makes their families, communities and North Sumatra proud.

20 Regencies and Cities Compete for IDR130 Million in Prizes

Meanwhile, the Head of the North Sumatra Provincial Youth and Sports Office, M Mahfullah Pratama Daulay, explained that the 2026 Governor's Cup Student Volleyball League forms part of the province's strategic development programme.

The initiative supports the objectives of improving human resource quality and strengthening social and cultural resilience, as set out in North Sumatra's 2025–2029 Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD).

"This Student Volleyball League will become an annual event organised by the North Sumatra Provincial Government. It is not merely a competition, but also a driving force for identifying promising young talent from regencies and cities, preparing them to progress to national-level competitions and professional sport," Mahfullah said.

He explained that the tournament will run until 13 November 2026 at the North Sumatra Indoor Volleyball Sports Centre. Men's and women's teams from 20 regencies and cities are taking part after completing selection processes at school and regional levels.

The organisers have allocated a total prize fund of IDR130 million for this year's competition. The North Sumatra Provincial Government regards the support as both recognition and an incentive for students pursuing sporting excellence.

"The total prize fund for this year's event is IDR130 million. This reflects the commitment of the Governor and Deputy Governor to providing scholarships for students through sporting achievements. In the future, we will continue to increase the value of these scholarships so that they become a strong motivation for senior secondary school students in North Sumatra to keep achieving sporting success," he said.

The scholarship scheme is expected to give more students opportunities to develop their sporting abilities without neglecting their education. In this way, achievements on the court can go hand in hand with academic progress.

Talent Scouting Opens the Door to Professional Academy Development

In addition to providing a competitive platform, the organisers have also established a talent identification programme. Mahfullah said the North Sumatra branch of PBVSI had deployed a dedicated scouting team to assess individual athletes' abilities throughout the competition.

Athletes who demonstrate outstanding potential will have the opportunity to join Sumut Falcon Academy, based at the North Sumatra Indoor Volleyball Sports Centre. The academy provides educational facilities and support for professional career development, with the associated costs covered by the academy.

The programme offers a further development pathway for young volleyball players seeking to improve their skills and pursue careers in the sport. Sumut Falcon Academy operates under the guidance of internationally experienced coach Marcos Sugiyama, who is of Brazilian-Japanese descent.

Mahfullah also highlighted the North Sumatra Indoor Volleyball Sports Centre in Deli Serdang. According to him, the venue has been registered with PBVSI as an international-standard stadium suitable for hosting major global sporting events.

"The Indoor Volleyball Sports Centre in Deli Serdang has already been registered with PBVSI as one of the international stadiums suitable for hosting world-class events. In 2027, we have prepared a major event, the FIKS Women Under-20 competition at South-east Asian level, which will involve 18 countries. We want to prove that athletes from remote villages and districts across North Sumatra can make their way on to the international stage," Mahfullah stressed.

The planned South-east Asian competition in 2027 forms part of North Sumatra's efforts to strengthen its position as a host destination for international sporting events. It will also provide regional athletes with opportunities to gain experience competing against participants from different countries.

Through the student league and subsequent development programmes, the North Sumatra Provincial Government hopes to extend volleyball development to more schools and communities, including remote areas. The government also aims to ensure that opportunities are not limited to students in urban centres but are accessible to young people from regencies and districts throughout the province.

Structured development, regular competitions, educational support and systematic talent identification are expected to provide a strong foundation for producing young athletes capable of representing North Sumatra at national and international level.

The opening ceremony was also attended by representatives of the North Sumatra Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), Deli Serdang Deputy Regent Lom Lom Suwondo, North Sumatra National Sports Committee (KONI) Chairman Hatunggal Siregar, North Sumatra PBVSI Chairman Wiko Lovino Siregar, and Marcos Sugiyama, coach of the Indonesian Women's National Volleyball Team and Medan Falcon Club. (IDNC)

REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala