15-year-old 'seriously injured' in fight after Moncton soccer game
RCMP are investigating after a 15-year-old boy was seriously injured in a fight involving soccer teams from Dieppe and Saint John on Sunday.
A fight broke out at the end of the game and three youths allegedly hit a Dieppe player in the parking lot outside the Moncton SportsDome, causing serious facial injuries to the teenager.
Police responded to the scene at around 4 p.m. on Sunday.
"From what I know, it was a hard-fought game. This may have fuelled the frustrations of players and parents," Guy Verma, president of the Saint John soccer club, said in French.
Taha Maarous, president of Soccer Dieppe, said he has never seen anything like what happened on Sunday and he does not condone any acts of violence.
He and Verma will collaborate with the investigation.
Soccer N.B.'s independent disciplinary committee will be assessing the incident.
Younès Bouida, general director of Soccer N.B., said that preventing incidents like this will require education and awareness.
He mentioned that there is a course on respect in sport which is mandatory for all coaches in the competitive sector.
While Soccer N.B. provides tools like this course to help educate parents, players and coaches, Bouida said, in French, "we must accelerate the pace so that everyone is aware."
