Abbotsford — Coaches Arjan Bhullar and Raj Virdi have one goal in the 2014-2015 wrestling season: to bring home a CIS wrestling banner to hang from the rafters of the Envision Athletic Centre.* It’s the first year of the program, the first year Bhullar and Virdi will be CIS coaches, and the first time BC will have fielded a CIS wrestling squad since 2010, but these details seem irrelevant to UFV’s coaching duo. They have built this program from the ground up with the goal of immediate victory, and they may well have constructed the recruiting class to make that goal possible.
While every athlete on the men’s wrestling team this year will technically be a new recruit (since this is the inaugural year of the program), many participated in the 2013-2014 UFV wrestling club run by Bhullar and Virdi. These following athletes (some of whom are already decorated in the sport) have been training hard for nearly a year, and are now ready to compete in official UFV colours for the first time:
Ranjot Sandhar is a business student currently competing in the 65 kilo division. He is a past bronze medalist in the BC Secondary Schools (BCSS) Wrestling Championships, and an example to his teammates on the mat and in the classroom.
“Sandhar was the most improved on the squad last year,” said Bhullar. “Good work ethic, good kid, a leader in the classroom and a leader for the team. He’s like a sponge, he soaks up everything very easily.”
Chanmit Phulka is a business student currently competing in the 100 kilo division. He is a two-time BC champion and national champion at the high school level, and a U-21 Pan Am Games champion. Last year Phulka’s opponents failed to score a single point on him in official competition.
“Chanmit is a leader on the mat for the entire team,” said Bhullar. “He didn’t get a point scored on him last year and we’re looking for continued excellence from him this season. I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t bring back a CIS medal for us.”
Rohit Thandi is a criminology student currently competing in the 57 kilo division.
“Rohit joined us later in the year last year, but his results have been very consistent since then,” said Bhullar. “He’s got a strong work ethic and a strong passion for the sport. As coaches we’re going to tap into those strengths and hopefully help him achieve success this year.”
Jaskarn Ranu is a political science student who currently competes in the 72 kilo division. He finished first at the Canadian Junior National Championships last season, and is now looking to use those skills at the senior level.
“Jaskarn had a very good year last year,” said Bhullar. “He won our first national championship for the club program. His biggest issue last year was staying healthy, so we’ve got to be smart in that area. We’re looking for him to build on last year’s success and be a leader.”
Dave Sharma is a business student currently competing in the 61 kilo division. He is a two-time provincial champion at the high school level.
“Sharma also joined us later in the year,” said Bhullar. “It took him a while to get into shape, but once he hit his stride he competed well for us. The Canada West is tough at his weight, but we’re looking for him to lead our group in his weight class.”
UFV Wrestling has also brought in several transfers and new recruits to bolster what was an already formidable roster. The following are more recent additions to the UFV program:
Aso Palani is a criminology student who currently competes in the 57 kilo division. He is a veteran wrestler, a three-time national champion at the senior level, and a former alternate for the 2012 Canadian Olympic team.
“Aso is a great pick up for us,” said Bhullar. “He’s excited to compete at the university level as he has yet to compete in the CIS. One of the reasons we brought him in was for his leadership in the room with the younger athletes. He has successfully competed at the level that the younger kids are going to aspire to get to. He personifies our high-performance model for our program. He’s also got his eyes set on the 2016 Olympics, so he’s extremely motivated to excel.”
Amrit Benning is a W.J. Mouat graduate who currently competes in the 65 kilo division and is planning to study psychology. He has claimed three provincial gold medals and two silver in five years competing at the high school level, as well as two national gold medals. Last year Benning was named the most outstanding wrestler at the provincial tournament in a fitting end to his high school career.
“Amrit stands for what we believe in; he meets even the highest standards as a wrestler,” said Bhullar. “He has high aspirations for his sport and for his career. He’s got his head on straight.”
Devin Purewal is a Yale Secondary graduate who currently competes in the 65 kilo division and is planning to study criminology. He is a former provincial champion and a national bronze medalist at the high school level.
“Devin is quiet kid; he’s like a silent assassin,” said Bhullar. “He’s got his head on straight and I think he’s going to really benefit from being around high-level athletes … wrestling is in his family.”
Jasmit Phulka is a criminology student who currently competes in the 90 kilo division. Phulka’s career is littered with hardware. He’s a four time national champion at various levels and an Australia Cup champion (U-21), as well as the brother of Chanmit.
“He’s got all the gifts athletically, he’s got all the skills physically,” said Bhullar. “His biggest challenge is going to be his mental game. If he can transfer what he does in practice into the competition he’ll be a high, high level wrestler. He’s got his eyes set on the 2016 Olympics.”
Manny Kahlon is a graduate of the North Surrey Learning Center, and will be competing in the 120 kilo division (265 lbs and up). Kahlon is a former gold medalist at the Canada Summer Games, a provincial champion at the high school level, and a three time national champion.
“He’s very physically gifted, but technically he has to get better because his competition will now be just as big and strong,” said Bhullar. “He has all the physical tools to succeed, the size, the frame, the drive, everything.”
Wali Abdullah is a general studies student who currently competes in the 54 kilo division. He’s a former national champion in England, and is the program’s first international recruit.
“Wali is making a big commitment coming all the way from the UK,” said Bhullar. “He’s very passionate about the sport. It’s a unique challenge being the 54 kilo wrestler because you’re the smallest guy in the lineup, but you’re the first to compete at every event. So he’s always got to set the tone for the rest of the team.”
*If UFV Wrestling does indeed bring home a banner, UFV athletics director Rocky Olfert and student life director Kyle Baillie have promised to face each other in an epic wrestling extravaganza at the EAC. Coach Bhullar will officiate the match.
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