When Women's Footballers Go it Alone Without Competition

Hanipa Halimatusyadiah (21) was busy staring at her laptop screen at the house she had turned into an office in Sukabumi, West Java, at the end of last March. On the screen, numbers indicating the sales of her products were displayed.

Three months earlier, Hanipa was still at the Kingkong Soccer Arena Field, East Jakarta, playing soccer as part of the 2024 Pertiwi Cup. This national-level tournament served as a relief for female soccer players amidst the absence of a league.

If there were no Pertiwi Cup, Hanipa would practically only play once a year, namely during the Aceh-North Sumatra 2024 National Sports Week (PON) to represent West Java. Since the women's football league has been dormant since 2019, provincial teams and PON have twice become the "saviors" for Hanipa and her peers who lack a platform to compete in football.

Initially, Hanipa thought her wait to return to playing professionally in a long-term competition would only last another year. This was because the national football association planned for the women's football league to resume in 2026. In reality, the league has been postponed until 2027.

The postponement of the women's football league became known after the Chairman of PSSI, Erick Thohir, announced its scheduling during a competition meeting last February. Erick stated that the women's football league would be held in 2027. A few days later, he mentioned that one of the reasons was the limited talent pool.

"Starting to reach a point of pessimism, but on the other hand, cannot detach from football," said Hanipa, expressing his uncertainty.

No league means no place to test training results, hone skills, and pursue achievements. No league also means no source of income for female footballers.

For the past four years, Hanipa has been trying to find a way to overcome the uncertainty of this competition. The player who once strengthened the U-15 team in the 2017 AFF Women's Cup occasionally plays in tournaments even though the level is regional or inter-village.

Hanipa also used his hard-earned money from football to build a fashion business with his own brand. He now has three fashion brands, which sell a variety of clothing, from t-shirts, pants, hoodies, to sandals.

Although it was not always smooth, Hanipa said, the business helped her survive amidst the uncertainty of the league and sources of income. "I can be said to be lucky because now I have this business, but some other friends have difficulty when there is no league, no income because they have been relying on football for a living. At most, they play in tarkam," said Hanipa.

Hanipa has invited other footballers to join her business or encouraged them to start similar businesses. At least, Hanipa said, these female footballers can still get a source of income while still training and waiting for the league to come.

The player who led Persikabo Kartini to become the runner up of Liga 1 Putri 2019 plans to invite other female footballers as widely as possible to try out similar businesses. According to Hanipa, female footballers can use and leverage their connections and names as athletes to boost the business.

“My big dream is to invite other friends to try to find other sources of income. They often get endorsement offers from certain brands. Why don’t they promote their own products? I will help with my experience. This will be a place for us, as well as a way for us to find our own solutions,” said Hanipa.

While Hanipa is strategizing with her business, other female footballers are strategizing by going to other countries, including Southeast Asian countries that have leagues. Most recently, five Indonesian female footballers joined a club from the Philippines, Makati FC, to play in the PFF Women's League or the 2025 Philippine Women's League.

They are Shalika Aurelia, Sheva Imut, Gea Yumanda, and Nafeeza Nori, and Nasywa Rambe. The first four players even immediately got the chance to debut with Makati FC on Thursday (3/4/2025) in a match against the University of Philippines at the Mall of Asia Football Pitch, Pasay, Philippines.

Sheva even scored two goals and Gea recorded two assists, in a match that ended with Makati's 5-0 victory. In the next match, Sunday (6/4/2025), it was Nafeeza's turn to steal the spotlight by contributing two goals in a 4-0 victory over UST Lady Booters.

Meanwhile, another female footballer, Risda Yulianti Noviawan, chose to hold her own tournament. The player who once strengthened the national team in the 2018 AFF Women's Cup in Palembang held the trophy in Bandung, West Java, at the end of February 2025.

Risda said, Bandung is a city that has many women's soccer tournaments. Starting from the Mayor's Cup held between sub-districts, the Regional Sports Week (Porda) and the U-17 Bandung Women's League.

However, because there were no more tournaments at the end of February, Risda chose to create her own. "I tried to fill the void, while waiting for everything to roll again. However, most importantly, I tried to provide a place for young female footballers to compete, hone their training results, especially since I am now also coaching," said Risda who holds a PSSI B License.

"I am sad and desperate because the league has not started, but don't let the kids feel the same way. I always say, the opportunity for me may be difficult, besides the competition is not clear, the opportunity to enter the national team is also getting thinner because of age. However, these kids still have hope because the average age is under 19 years old," said the 28-year-old player.

The current national team squad is indeed dominated by young players. The only player who is "in the same generation" as Risda is Vivi Oktavia Riski, a player who was recalled to the national team after coach Satoru Mochizuki saw her performance at the 2024 Aceh-Sumut PON with Bangka Belitung.

The trophy held by Risda was entitled Rafeo Cup Minisoccer U-19. Each team consists of 14 players who must all play. Participating teams only pay a registration fee of IDR 250,000 to take part in the event. The consideration, said Risda, is that each player only pays around IDR 18,000 so it doesn't burden them.

"However, with the Rp18,000 they can play on a comfortable field, professional referees, get drinking water, photos, and trophies. There are also shoe prizes for the best players. Although small and inexpensive, I want to create a tournament that makes children feel like they are really competing," said the former Persikabo Kartini player.

"Hopefully we can consistently hold this tournament so that it can provide more platforms for female footballers in West Java, especially Bandung, to compete," he said again.

In the midst of silence without a league, women's footballers choose to strategize, fight, and create space to survive. From small businesses to foreign stages, from simple trophies to big dreams, they knit hope with their own hands. Because for them, women's football must continue to be pursued even though there is no support.