Marc-Antoine Dequoy, who retired from the CFL six months ago, is now participating in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world flag football championship in Duesseldorf, Germany. Dequoy, a 31-year-old safety, decided to retire from the CFL due to physical limitations that would prevent him from committing to a full season. Despite initially being hesitant, Dequoy was persuaded by Canadian head coach Paul LaPolice to join the flag football team after doing some research and trying out the sport.
During his retirement, Dequoy co-hosted a television show called Avec ou Sans Cash, which took him away from football for a few months. However, as the show was ending in May, Dequoy felt a void and missed the competitive aspect of the game, prompting him to rejoin the flag football team.
Having been a CFL all-star and winning the Grey Cup in 2023, Dequoy faced new challenges in flag football due to its different rules and playing style. Adjusting to the no-contact nature of the game and the technique of grabbing opponents’ flags proved to be a learning curve for him.
Canada’s participation in the world championship was affected by Nigeria’s withdrawal from the tournament due to visa issues. Despite this setback, Canada will compete against Austria and Japan in the preliminary rounds. The top-two finishers in the championship will earn Olympic berths, with a possibility of a third team qualifying if the United States reaches the gold-medal game.
Dequoy expressed the team’s goal of securing a top-two or top-three finish to qualify for the Olympics, emphasizing the importance of this opportunity for athletes in a sport like flag football. Missing out on qualification in Germany would mean participating in future events for a chance to secure an Olympic spot, a dream that Dequoy sees as a pinnacle of achievement in his sporting career.