More than three months after losing the gold medal match at the Junior World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, Surrey’s Amar Dhesi has been crowned a world champion.
Dhesi lost the 120 kg. final to Geno Petriashvila of Georgia on Aug. 10, and was presented with the silver medal.
But last week, it was announced Petriashvila had failed a drug test and was disqualified, and Dhesi is the new world champion in the Junior (18-20) category.
“This news results in Canada winning its first male Junior World Wrestling Championship in 25 years,” said says Wrestling Canada Lutte executive director Tamara Medwidsky.
“Wrestling Canada Lutte celebrates this news and congratulates Amar and his coaches for their hard work and preparation.”
The gold medal is also the first by a Canadian in men’s freestyle competition since Daniel Igali, also of Surrey, won the senior world championship in 1999.
Dhesi is in his sophomore season with the Oregon State University Beavers wrestling program. This past year saw him place second at the Pac-12 conference tournament, win the Junior Pan American championship, and place second at the Canada Cup.
“He’s a solid guy, he has gotten a lot better and has improved a lot,” said Oregon State coach Jim Zalesky.
“He’s bigger and stronger. Last year he had just turned 18 and I think the maturity he gained going through that year really helped him out.”
Dhesi was ranked seventh in the NCAA by the Association Wrestling Press in this year’s preseason polls, which were released last month.
