STORY-1-Photo-1
 
The WJ Mouat boys wrestling team with coach Jim Mitchell. Photo submitted
 
BY RATTAN MALL
 
IN 2011, South Asian boys won five gold, five silver and three bronze medals at the Provincial High School Wrestling Championships.
 
In 2012, they won 10 gold, six silver and seven bronze medals.
 
This year, they won 11 gold, seven silver and four bronze medals in the 17 weight categories. (See results below)
What is more, there was a substantial increase in the number of South Asian wrestlers in the first six positions in the lower weight categories.
 
On the other hand, there was only one South Asian female wrestler: Ami Sidhu of Frank Hurt who came fifth in the 69 kg category which had 17 entries.
 
ABBOTSFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT
 
Abbotsford schools could boast of winning a plethora of medals with M. J. Mouat winning their first provincial boys title – the third consecutive year an Abbotsford school has won that title.
 
The Abbotsford School District noted: “[WJ Mouat] Hawks wrestlers won four individual medals, while wrestlers representing Rick Hansen Secondary and Yale Secondary won two medals each and an Abbotsford Traditional Secondary wrestler medaled. One of the more remarkable results was Eugene Reimer Middle School’s grade 8 student Navdeep Toor, competing at the high school level and facing competitors from grades 10, 11 and 12, winning gold in the 41 kg category. Založení společnosti . Six other boys and one girl from Abbotsford schools achieved top six finishes in the provincial competition, held in Duncan last weekend (March 1-3.)
 
“Three Abbotsford schools finished in the top ten in the boys’ competition: in addition to Mouat’s top placing, Rick Hansen was 5th and Yale finished 9th.”
 
Individual results for the school district:
 
W J Mouat Secondary
Amrit Benning 60 Kg Gold
Nishan Randhawa 78 Kg Gold
Austin Batra 84 Kg Silver
Pavan Sangha 45 Kg Bronze
 
Rick Hansen Secondary
Joban Phulka 84kg Gold
Justin Gill 70kg Gold
 
Yale Secondary
Matt Dignan 57kg Gold
Devin Purewal 78kg Silver
 
Abbotsford Traditional Secondary
Sukhman Sidhu 78 kg Bronze
 
Eugene Reimer Middle
Navdeep Toor 41 kg Gold
 
Students of MEI (Mennonite Educational Institute) also won medals: Rajin Gill (90 kg Silver), Dave Sharma (54 kg Gold).
 
TEAM POINTS: BOYS
1. WJ Mouat – 61
2. Lord Tweedsmuir – 49
3. St. Thomas More – 44
4. Charles Tupper – 43
5. Rick Hansen – 38*
6. Alberni District – 38*
7. Queen Elizabeth – 37
8. MEI – 31
9. Yale – 28
10.Tamanawis – 25
 
(*Points appear to be ties however one team or another had more placers in higher ranking)
MIRI PIRI WRESTLING CLUBSTORY-1-Photo-2
 
Miri Piri Wrestling Club members with coach Sucha Mann.
 
The Miri Piri Wrestling Club says seven of its wrestlers participated through various schools and six of them who trained under coach Sucha Mann, who was declared the “Outstanding Coach” for 2008-2009 by the B.C. Wrestling Association, won three gold, two silver and one bronze:
 
Gold:
Navdeep Singh Toor (41 kg)
Justin Singh Gill (70 kg)
Jobanjit Singh Phulka (84 kg)
 
Silver:
Devin Singh Purewal (78 kg)
Rajin Singh Gill (90 kg)
 
Bronze:
Sukhman Singh Sidhu (78 kg)
 
KHALSA WRESTLING CLUB
 
The Khalsa Wrestling Club can also boast of the outstanding performances by Amar Dhesi (Burnaby Central), who bagged gold in the top category of 110+ kg for the second year in a row, and Jaskarn Ranu (Lord Tweedsmuir), who won gold in the 74 kg category.
 
Amar’s brother, Parm, is also a well-known wrestler, and their dad, Balbir Dhesi, is the head coach of Khalsa Wrestling Club.
 
NOTE: If any wrestling club or individuals want to send in their photos and more information (at EditorAsianJournal@gmail.com), Asian Journal as usual would love to publish them.
 
Here are the results for the first six places for South Asian high school wrestlers and the performance of some of them in previous years:
 
* 110+ kg (9 entries):
 
1. Amar Dhesi (Burnaby Central)
 
STORY-1-Photo-3---AMAR-DHESI-110plus-category
 
Amar Dhesi
 
2. Juma Nathani (John Oliver)
3. Many Kahlon (Frank Hurt)
Amar Dhesi also won gold in this category last year; he won silver in the 110 kg category in 2011.
 
Juma Nathani won bronze in this category last year.
 
* 110 kg (22 entries):
1. Paul Sahota (Tamanawis)
2. Jason Bains (Queen Elizabeth)
5. Gagan Sohol (Burnaby South)
 
Paul Sahota came fourth in this category last year, but this year he won the gold.
 
* 90 kg (17 entries):
1. Daman Bilen (Queen Elizabeth)
2. Rajan Gill (MEI – Mennonite Educational Institute)
 
Daman Bilen also won gold in this category last year.
 
Rajan Gill won bronze in the 84 kg category last year.
 
* 84 kg (21 entries)
1. Jobanjit Phulka (Hansen)
2. Austin Batra (W J Mouat)
4. Jimmy Sidhu (Burnaby South)
 
Jobanjit Phulka won gold in the 78 kg category last year.
 
Austin Batra won bronze in the 74 kg category last year.
 
* 78 kg (20 entries)
 
1. Nishan Randhawa (W J Mouat)
2. Devin Purewal (Yale)
3. Sukh Sidhu (Abby Traditional)
5. Sajan Atwal (Delview)
 
Nishan Randhawa won silver in the 70 kg category last year.
 
Sukh Sidhu came fourth in the 74 kg category last year.
 
* 74 kg (25 entries)
 
1. Jaskarn Ranu (Lord Tweedsmuir)
 
STORY-1-Photo-4-JASKARN-RANU-74-kg-category
 
Jaskarn Ranu
 
3. Billy Sahota (Matheson)
 
Jaskarn Ranu won gold in the 70 kg category last year; in 2011, he won silver in the 63 kg category. He won silver in the 57 kg category in 2010.
 
Billy Sahota won bronze in the 66 kg category last year.
 
* 70 kg (25 entries)
 
1. Justin Gill (Rick Hansen)
2. Arshvir Atwal (Lord Tweedsmuir)
3. Yosh Phull (Tamanawis)
 
Justin Gill won gold in the 66 kg category last year.
 
Arshvir Atwal came fourth in the 66 category last year.
 
* 66 kg (23 entries)
 
5. Suki Sekhon (Queen Elizabeth)
6. Gagan Sangha (W J Mouat)
 
* 63 kg (21 entries)
1. Dallan Bhatti (Windsor)
4. Tanjot Kahlon (Abby Traditional)
 
Dallan Bhati won gold in the 60 kg category.
 
* 60 kg (26 entries)
1. Amrit Benning (W J Mouat)
5. Shaman Ghogal (Maple Ridge)
 
Amrit Benning won silver in the 54 kg category last year; in 2011, he won gold in the 48 kg category.
 
* 57 kg (25 entries)
4. Rohit Thandi (Queen Elizabeth)
5. Navdeep Dhillon (MEI)
6. Safi Shar (Burnaby South)
 
Navdeep Dhillon won bronze in the 45 kg category last year.
 
* 54 kg (26 entries)
1. Dave Sharma (MEI)
4. Hanar Basran (Hansen)
5. Karn Basra (Enver Creek)
6. Abdullah Saib (South Burnaby)
 
Dave Sharma won gold in the 45 kg category last year; in 2011, he won silver in the 41 kg category.
 
* 51 kg (23 entries)
5. Davinder Gill (W J Mouat)
 
* 48 kg (22 entries)
4. Gagan Hundal (Guildford)
 
* 45 kg (13 entries)
3. Pawan Sangha (W J Mouat)
4. Tejpaul Kullar (Abby Traditional)
6. Eknoor Bajwa (Abby Traditional)
 
* 41 kg (6 entries)
1. Navdeep Toor (Eugene Reimer)