A young Houston soccer player has taken his on-field prowess from northern B.C. to the sports fields of Spain.
David Onoura, 13, spent more than a week from April 11 to April 19 with other young Canadians playing on a U-14 squad against teams from around the world.
Organized by a sports fitness academy called Kaptiva Sports and the Real Madrid Foundation, named for its sponsoring powerhouse European team Real Madrid, the tournament featured young players carefully selected for their ability and capability to represent their country and the sport.
In David's case, he spent a week in Calgary in May 2024 at a clinic held by Kaptiva Sports and the the Real Madrid Foundation.
Kaptiva Sports runs international high level academies of various lengths designed to bring out a person's athletic ability as well as the experience of living and studying in a foreign country.
The Real Madrid Foundation emphasizes inclusion as the team's commitment to young athletes within the promotion of sports. It also offers educational and cultural activities.
While in Spain, David went on tours of Real Madrid's stadium and the surrounding area.
Other places visited during his time overseas included Legoland in Barcelona, Denmark, Germany and Iceland.
David's father, Dr. Odoh Onuora, was not that surprised at David's performance in Calgary followed by his trip to Spain.
"He's always been good in sports And he's been in other tournaments but this one was different, playing with kids from other cities," said Onuora.
"But this has been a good experience for him. He's learned a lot about athletics with young people from around the world."
Onuora adds that his son's athletic ability will stand him in good stead in the years ahead, perhaps even to fashion a career.
"It totally depends on him, you know. What I can say is that he's doing well and he's loving what he is doing."
