U-17 soccer tournament kicks off Sunday

JAKARTA: Thirty-two junior teams were confirmed to take part in the U-17 Extra Joss Soccer Championship, which will kick off on Sunday, according to the organizers.

"This will be the second year of the tournament. We have invited a number of clubs to join and those 32 teams are, we believe, ready for the competition," committee chairman Yusuf Rizal told a press conference here on Wednesday.

The teams are split into four divisions: Greater Jakarta, West Java, Central Java and East Java. Each division has eight teams divided into Group A and Group B.

The group matches will run until Sept. 8 with the winners qualifying for the next stages. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be staged from Sept. 15 to Oct. 20 while the finals are scheduled for Nov. 3.

The organizers provide Rp 20 million (US$2,250) in cash prizes for the winner and Rp 10 million for runner-up. --JP