After months of negotiations, paperwork and dedicated working hours, the Emile Lapierre project materialized on Saturday afternoon, while it welcomed the Ukrainian women’s team at Montreal-Trudeau team.
This training will participate in the fourth edition of the Rouge et Or junior Volleyball Classic. “The tournament will have 96 teams this year, and this is the first time that we welcome a non -Canadian team,” explains Émile Lapierre, president of the Volleyball component at Laval University.
Emotion
In the middle of a war that continues, it is a first in Canadian soil for the entire delegation, accompanied by an English -speaking translator in order to communicate. (Adrien Wilmot, special collaboration)
You have to go back to June 2024 to find the origins of this ambitious project. It was at this point that Lapierre started the steps to allow this team to make the trip to Quebec.
“It took hard work and the collaboration of several people in order to arrive to date. We are very happy to welcome these young athletes to us, ”he said, moved, the day after the arrival of the delegation.
Thanks to the support of Laval University and several sponsors, the organization of the tournament was able to receive the Ukrainian team all paid costs.
“It is an incredible chance to be here and be able to participate in this tournament,” says Anzhela Kornet, a translator for the team. We live very difficult moments with war, but if there is one thing that keeps us hope and keeps us united, it is sport. ”
The Ukrainian delegation was able to discover our traditional Sunday lunches at their first morning on Quebec soil. (Émile Lapierre)
The day after their arrival, the 17 and 18 years old players had the chance to visit the PEPS installations of Laval University.
“We have nothing like in Ukraine. It’s very modern and we find the city magnificent, ”adds Kornet.
Poltava parties last Thursday, the players took almost 48 hours to reach Canadian soil, a first for each of them. The team had to cross several areas at war by bus and in the process of embarking on a plane in Bucharest, Romania, then stopover in Vienna, Austria.
On Sunday, young athletes were able to enjoy a generous Quebec lunch, followed by an outdoor barbecue organized by Olivier Hubert-Benoît, a key player in their arrival in the country.
“It was a long process,” explains the coach of the Ukrainian team, Iryna Moroz.
“Since the announcement of their participation, the girls have been training relentlessly to arrive at the end.”— Iryna Moroz, the coach of the Ukrainian team
Strong links
Olivier Hubert-Benoît is not in his first collaboration with Ukrainian delegations. In 2023, he had hosted young hockey players from this country who came to participate in the International Hockey Hockey Tournament Pee-Wee. Dazzled by their stay, some did not want to leave, but had to return to their country for lack of visa.
One of them, Nikita Staskevych, returned to Quebec in September 2024. He is now playing for the hockey team of the Sports-Studies program at St. Patrick High School school.
The Ukrainian training exchanged gifts with Olivier Hubert-Benoît, one of the main players in the arrival of the team on Quebec soil. (Adrien Wilmot, special collaboration)
His military father was seriously injured during the war. Staskevych now lives with Hubert-Benoît.
When the candidacy of the Ukrainian team was refused for the 2024 edition of the famous Quebec tournament, Olivier Hubert-Benoît made the bridge with the Ukrainian Volleyball Federation to organize the arrival of the women’s team in Quebec this spring.
Touched by the warm welcome received since their arrival, the Ukrainians offered traditional dolls on Sunday and the club’s chanders to the organizers, as a thank you.
“We are so happy to have you here. I hope you will win the tournament! ” launched Émile Lapierre, visibly touched by this gesture.
The Rouge et Or junior volleyball classic will take place from May 9 to 11.
