KHALSA Wrestling Club and Oregon State University heavyweight wrestler Amar Dhesi of Surrey was the only Canadian to win a medal at the Junior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, last week.

He is the first Indo-Canadian to win a silver medal at the Junior World Championships in freestyle wrestling. This is Canada’s first ever silver medal at the Junior World Championships since 1989.

Dhesi, wrestling for Team Canada, won three matches to advance to the final where he wrestled against Geno Petriashvili of Georgia.

On the way to the finals, Dhesi had victories over Korea’s Kim Seongsu, Turkey’s Yusuf Dede, and USA’s Adam Coon (former Cadet World Champion).

Dhesi also won the Pan American Championships earlier this year in Toronto, Ontario. He has been attending Oregon State University on a full-ride scholarship since September 2013.

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