AFTER a doping case following the 2014 Junior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, freestyle wrestler Geno Petriashvili (120 kg) has been disqualified and Canada’s Amar Dhesi wins the gold medal and the championship title.

Dhesi is the first Indo-Canadian to win a gold medal at the Junior World Championships in freestyle wrestling.

Dhesi becomes one of a handful of men’s freestylers (senior and other) to bring home the coveted title. Daniel Igali was the last Canadian male to win a Senior World Championship title in men’s freestyle in 1999. Alfred Wurr won the Espoir World Championship title in men’s freestyle in 1989.

“This news results in Canada winning its first male Junior World Wrestling Championship in 25 years,” 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 Oregon State University Beavers wrestler had won three straight matches (over Korea’s Kim Seongsu, Turkey’s Yusuf Dede, and USA’s Adam Coon, former Cadet World Champion) at the August 2014 event before losing to Petriashvili the defending champion.

The 2014 Junior World Wrestling Championship title follows his 2014 Junior Pan Am Championship gold medal performance in Toronto in June.

Dhesi has been attending Oregon State University on a full-ride scholarship since September 2013.

Dhesi was coached by his father, Balbir Dhesi, an outstanding former wrestler of India. Amar’s brother Parm was a Youth Olympian for Team Canada.