The latest success of Johor Darul Ta’zim FC III (JDT III) at the 2026 SUKMA Games has provided another powerful demonstration of the effectiveness of JDT Academy’s long-term player development programme, with the Johor-based academy continuing to dominate youth football across multiple age groups.
JDT III’s SUKMA 2026 football gold medal adds another major achievement to an already impressive list of domestic and international successes, reinforcing the club’s status as one of Malaysia’s most successful football development systems.
Rather than relying solely on its senior team, JDT have built a structured pathway from youth level through to professional football — and the results are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
JDT III have established remarkable dominance at Under-20 level.
The side have won the President Cup four consecutive times from 2022 to 2025, while JDT IV have also secured back-to-back Youth Cup titles in 2024 and 2025.
Both teams were also leading their respective competitions again in 2026.
The latest SUKMA gold medal adds another layer to that success, showing that the development programme is producing players capable of competing not only at club level but also in major national multi-sport competition.
JDT Chief Operating Officer and Technical Director Alistair Edwards believes the academy’s continued success is confirmation that the long-term strategy established by Tunku Mahkota Ismail, Regent of Johor, is moving in the right direction.
“The success and dominance achieved by the JDT Academy is proof that the long-term development programme we have implemented is strong and on the right track.”
Edwards acknowledged that building the system required patience and a willingness to learn during JDT’s early years.
“There was certainly a process of trial and error in the early years because we were a new club trying to build a strong foundation.”
He believes partnerships with established European clubs also played an important role in accelerating that development.
JDT previously worked with clubs including Borussia Dortmund and Valencia, giving the academy valuable exposure to international development models.
“Today, we are a leading football academy in the country, with success from the Under-12 level all the way to the higher age groups.”
JDT Academy now stands as the only fully professional football club academy in Malaysia with teams spanning the Under-12 to Under-23 categories.
That structure gives young players a clear development pathway rather than forcing them to search for opportunities outside the club.
Academy Director Javi Jorda believes the results of the investment made over the past several years are now becoming visible.
“In recent years, we have started to reap the rewards of the foundations we built in the past.”
Jorda also stressed that youth development deserves as much attention as senior football.
“The public focus in football is often on the teams at the highest level, but it is extremely important to make sure the foundations are built correctly and to develop the next generation of footballers.”
For JDT, winning multiple youth competitions year after year is not simply about adding trophies to a cabinet.
The scale of JDT Academy’s success extends far beyond the President Cup and Youth Cup.
The club’s teams have collected trophies and major tournament successes across categories ranging from Under-12 to Under-18, including competitions organised by the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM), the Ministry of Education, the Singapore Youth League and a wide range of international youth tournaments.
JDT youth teams have also succeeded in competitions such as the LaLiga Youth Tournament, Supermokh Cup, Garuda International Cup, JSSL Internationals, SingaCup and various international football festivals.
This consistency across age groups is arguably the most important indicator of the academy’s progress.
JDT II have already produced success at senior development level, including the 2019 Challenge Cup, 2022 Malaysia Premier League, 2024/25 MFL Cup and the 2025/26 Liga A1 Semi-Pro season.
At youth level, the achievements are even more extensive.
JDT III
- President Cup champions — 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- SUKMA football gold medal — 2026
JDT IV
- Youth Cup champions — 2024, 2025
JDT U17
- MSSM champions — 2022, 2023, 2024
- KPM/FAM Youth Cup champions — 2023, 2024
JDT U15
- MSSM champions — 2023, 2024
- LaLiga Youth Tournament champions — 2024
- Singapore Youth League champions — 2025
- JSE International Football Festival champions — 2026
- Johor Cup and other international tournament successes across recent seasons
JDT U14
- Minister of Education League champions — 2018, 2019, 2022, 2025
- LaLiga Youth Tournament champions — 2022
- Borneo Football Cup — 2023
- Supermokh Cup — 2024
- RSA x Catalunya Cup champions
- Johor Cup Under-14 champions — 2026
JDT U13
- JSSL International 7s champions — 2018, 2022, 2023
- Suparimau National League — 2022
- Singapore Youth League — 2024
JDT U12
The youngest age group has also enjoyed an extraordinary run of success, including:
- MSSM champions — 2019, 2022, 2025
- SingaCup champions — 2022
- Garuda International Cup — 2023
- Puma Youth Champions League — 2023
- LaLiga Youth Tournament — 2024, 2025
- Johor Cup — 2025, 2026
- Singapore Youth League Under-13 champions — 2025
- KFAM International Youth Cup champions — 2026
- JSE International Football Festival champions — 2026
- Johor Cup Under-12 champions — 2026
MORE THAN TROPHIES
For Jorda, the importance of the academy’s success goes beyond winning competitions.
“Winning the President Cup four times in a row, the Youth Cup twice in a row, various age-group competitions across the country every year and now the SUKMA gold medal is something the JDT Academy is very proud of.”
The achievements are also intended to motivate the academy’s staff and young players to keep improving.
The objective is not simply to produce a successful Under-12 team today.
It is to create footballers who can eventually compete for JDT’s senior team, Malaysian football and potentially the international stage.
AFC TWO-STAR ACCREDITATION
JDT are also the only club in Malaysia to hold AFC Two-Star accreditation for their football academy, highlighting the club’s commitment to a systematic and sustainable development structure.
Combined with the academy’s fully professional structure from Under-12 to Under-23, the accreditation provides another indication of how seriously JDT approach player development.
Credit Photo : Ariff/SNE Sports
