Forging Oneself into an Extraordinary Footballer Since a Young Age

Football has become one of the most popular sports globally, especially in Indonesia. It’s no wonder considering that many people start practicing from a young age and become exceptional athletes today.

Although they were introduced to football at an early age, these athletes continue to forge themselves with high spirits of hard work and the desire to improve their playing abilities.

Here are two Indonesian footballers who have been playing football since their youth and are currently pursuing their careers as professional players.

KGPH RK Poetro Negoro (15 years old)

Like any other boy his age, young Poetro spends his time playing football or watching various sports matches on television with his family.

This habit makes him even more fond of football. Eventually, he started joining futsal extracurricular activities when he was in elementary school, although until now, no family member is unaware of his passion.

His football potential began to be noticed by a coach who asked him to play in one of the beginner-level football matches. This invitation made Poetro feel torn, as he had never shared this activity with other family members. On the other hand, golden opportunities do not come twice.

Poetro, who is currently in high school, now resides in South Jakarta, far from his hometown, to focus on training and playing for his current football club, SSB RMD.

Through this football school, Poetro has competed in various renowned football matches, such as the U-14 Top Scorer League, and received a call-up from the Jakarta World Cup to play together.

To hone his skills in handling the round ball, this De Gea admirer trains with his team four times a week and practices independently during rest periods.

In the future, Poetro hopes to play for big football clubs like Persija FC or Borneo FC and train in Spain to further enhance his abilities.

Ferdiansyah (19 years old)

Playing for a big football club is undoubtedly a desire for most athletes, especially if they achieve it at a young age, which becomes a source of personal pride.

Ferdiansyah, a teenager from Bandung, has successfully achieved such an accomplishment by stepping onto the pitch at the age of 18 with a renowned team, where he met senior players who had vast experience and were older than him.

Despite the significant age difference with his teammates, Ferdiansyah proved himself to be one of the valuable members of Persib, bringing pride to the club.

Ferdi began his football journey at the age of eleven by playing in small alleys near his home with his friends.

Unexpectedly, his regular playing activity sparked his interest in delving deeper into football, and he expressed his intention to learn at a futsal club to his father.

His perseverance and hard work in football training led him to participate in the Elite Pro U-16 matches, which opened doors for him to attend various trials organized by different football clubs.

His hard work paid off. Ferdi was eventually called up to play for Persib Youth and was selected to join the National Team, although he later suffered an injury while playing.

Ferdi hopes to deliver impressive results with Persib Bandung by winning the Liga 1 championship.

Dimas Juliono Pamungkas (18 years old)

Football is not just a mere hobby for Dimas. He sees this sport as one of the paths to fulfill his dream of bringing happiness to his parents.

Starting his journey in the world of football from scratch, Dimas acknowledges that his playing abilities must be constantly honed and developed to become a player who can make a difference on the field. Therefore, Dimas trains even harder to compensate for his weaknesses in playing football.

“My focus right now is on improving my weaknesses in the game. I want to be physically stronger and have better technique, those are the things I’m chasing after right now,” says Dimas.

At a young age, Dimas has also been trusted to be part of the Indonesian National Team, Garuda, at an early stage. He proved this by being a part of the U-15 and U-20 national teams, as well as joining Klun Bhayangkara after honing his skills at Persip Youth for three years.

However, this Messi admirer doesn’t stop at just realizing his dreams while staying in one place. He continues to forge himself to keep playing with the national team for a long time.