Earlier this month, Elder Torres received the call of a lifetime. On one end of the phone, there was Honduras National Team Head Coach Jorge Pinto. He was extending Torres an offer to join Honduras down in Rio de Janerio for the 2016 Olympics. On the other end was Torres. His reaction was priceless as he recalls that phone call with a big grin on his face.
“I was really happy! Before that I was really anxious,” the Real Monarchs midfielder said. “It’s a great opportunity for me once again. Not only for me but for my family as well.”
It is clear that Torres holds family close to his heart. In fact, the people he told first are the two head women in his family.
“The first people were my mom and my grandma. They’ve always been there for me,” Torres said. “We’ve been through really tough times and they’ve always told me to put things in God’s hands. Thank God for opening those doors for me.”
Torres may be new to the Monarchs this season, but he is no rookie when it comes to national team play. It was just last year when he traveled to New Zealand to play in the U20 World Cup. Then, in late fall he was part of the team that qualified for the Olympics, including a stop in Sandy for the semifinal and final matches.
But the work hasn’t stopped. It is merely beginning.
“After qualifying here, against the US, we’ve been having to go to the national team once a month. We were in Korea last month and we got a lot of positive things out of the trip,” Torres said, noting the Suwon Invitational Tournament in South Korea in June. “Maybe it wasn’t the results we wanted but there were a lot of positive things. Now we have this trip to Colombia and we want to keep growing as a group.”
Torres is in the midst of a three-week camp in Colombia to prepare for the Olympics. Honduras opens the Group Stage on August 4 against Algeria before facing Portugal on August 7 and Argentina on August 10.
“This has always been a dream to me. I will always pray to go to have the opportunity do what I’m doing right now,” Torres said. “It’s amazing that not only for me but also for my family and the things I can do for them. This is not the end. I want more and I want to keep growing as a player.”
