Eight young athletes from the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region will have the opportunity to represent École Sportive Montréal Canada (ESM Canada) at the Mare Nostrum Cup, an international tournament to be held in Spain next April. More than 500 teams from around the world are expected to take part in this major event.

Among these young talents, Adrien Déry, Elias Mdawar and Alexandre Maloney-Lalonde will be playing in the U19 category, Olivier Campeau and Thomas Langlois will be wearing the colors of the U16 team, while Mikaël Campeau and Noah Mdawar will be playing for the U15 team. Finally, Jacob Langlois will join the U14 delegation.

They will represent their respective towns: Rivière-Beaudette, Les Coteaux, Saint-Zotique, Saint-Polycarpe and Coteau-du-lac. 

In all, ESM Canada has formed 14 teams in various categories to take part in the tournament.

A unique opportunity to measure themselves against the world's elite

These young athletes were selected following several evaluation camps organized by ESM Canada. For them, the Mare Nostrum Cup represents an opportunity to measure themselves against the best international players of their age.

Nancy Lacas, ESM Canada's Administrative Assistant, underlines the tournament's objective: “We want to offer young people an experience beyond what their local club can offer. It's a unique chance to hone their skills and test themselves against elite athletes.” 

Fundraising to make their dream come true

Participation in a tournament of this magnitude comes at a price, however. Each player has to pay around $4,000, which includes air travel, registration fees, uniforms and on-site training in Spain.

In addition to the support of local sponsors, the players are in the midst of a fund-raising campaign. They are collecting empty bottles and cans to cover part of the cost of their participation.

You can still support them by donating empty containers. Their next collection will take place on February 1.