Hadi Mardikian relocated with his family to Petitcodiac, N.B., from North Vancouver, B.C., in August 2024 to be closer to relatives in Nova Scotia. Shortly after arriving, he became a member of Codiac Soccer, where he found a sense of community and achieved success. Expressing his gratitude, Mardikian mentioned that since moving, he has encountered opportunities that were previously unavailable to him in B.C.
Mardikian played for Codiac’s under-17 team and represented New Brunswick at the recent Canada Games in Newfoundland and Labrador. However, disappointment arose when Codiac Soccer was notified by Soccer Canada that Mardikian would not be permitted to participate in the under-17 national championships in Kamloops, B.C.
According to an assistant coach, Michael Parry, the news came as a setback for the team and especially for Mardikian. Soccer Canada indicated that Mardikian’s registration was still in B.C., and he missed the deadline to switch to a new team. Despite uncertainties regarding who was responsible for filing the paperwork, Mardikian asserted that Soccer Canada was penalizing him for an adult’s mistake, which he believes is unjust.
Efforts to rectify the situation have been made by both the team and the Mardikian family. They reached out to his previous club and B.C. Soccer for proper paperwork, but Soccer Canada declared it was too late. The team has lodged an appeal with Soccer Canada, citing the Canadian Sport Dispute Resolution Centre’s stance that minors should not be penalized for administrative errors beyond their control.
Mardikian, one of the team’s two goalkeepers, was described by teammates as crucial to the team’s success. Despite his absence, the Codiac Soccer U17 boys team will head to Kamloops for the national championship tournament. Mardikian expressed his sadness and desire for a resolution before the tournament’s start on Wednesday, as the team is scheduled to depart on Monday. He emphasized the importance of focusing on the national competition rather than dealing with administrative challenges.
