The JFA U-14 Women’s Football Championship, a youth development program supported by the Japan Football Association (JFA), is set to begin this Friday across the country. This year’s edition introduces a new format designed to give young players more opportunities on the pitch by moving away from a traditional knockout system.

A total of 47 participating districts have been divided into six venues. They will compete in a round-robin preliminary stage, with the six venue champions and the two best runners-up advancing to an eight-team final round in July.

Previously, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) used a knockout format due to financial constraints, which often saw teams eliminated after just one defeat. This year, thanks to additional funding from FIFA, most teams will play at least three matches in the group stage.

“We have been organising the JFA U-14 tournament since 2015 as part of our talent hunt for Bangladesh's age-group teams. Following the tournament, we will hold trials in Dhaka to finalise the selection of talented players for the national youth squads,” said Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, BFF women’s wing chairman, at the BFF House today.

Kiron expressed high hopes for the tournament, noting that four to five players discovered in the last edition are currently in the national women’s camp.

Matches in Rangpur, Feni, and Rajbari begin this Friday, while Jhenaidah, Rajshahi, and Tangail will host their preliminary round matches starting June 10.

Responding to a query, Kiron -- who is also an executive member of the AFC -- explained that the format change follows a FIFA mandate. To secure FIFA financial support, the federation must organise at least 90 matches within a two-to-three-month window.