The East Kolaka Regency Government (Koltim), Southeast Sulawesi, through the Youth and Sports Agency (Dispora), is finalizing preparations to host the 2026 Regent's Cup Football Tournament. This prestigious regency-level competition is planned to be centered at the Gunung Jaya Village Field, Dangia District, this coming August.
Head of Dispora Koltim, Marsalim, revealed that this tournament is specifically designed for the under-21 (U-21) age group. In addition to being a development platform, the event is also projected as a selection process for talented football athletes who will later strengthen the regional delegation in the Provincial Sports Week (Porprov).
Regarding the schedule, Marsalim explained that the tournament's kick-off was intentionally set after the entire series of celebrations for the 81st Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia is completed. This step was taken so that the focus and participation of the public and the organizing committee would not be split with various other independence agendas.
Following up on instructions from the Acting (Plt) Regent of East Kolaka, Yosep Sahaka, the organizers are enforcing strict rules regarding player participation. Each sub-district representative team is required to register local talents native to East Kolaka. The committee emphasized that it will impose strict sanctions on teams proven to be using players from outside the region.
Currently, Dispora Koltim together with the organizing committee continue to finalize the physical readiness of the field and the technical coordination of the matches. Through this tournament, the local government hopes to produce a golden generation of footballers capable of bringing pride to East Kolaka on both regional and national stages.
