University of Fraser Valley’s male wrestling team members suspended. Misconduct at a party in Calgary?

UFV co-head coach Arjan Bhullar  All UFV photos
UFV co-head coach Arjan Bhullar
All UFV photos

JUST a few weeks ago the University of the Fraser Valley’s wrestling co-head coaches Arjan Bhullar and Raj Virdi could justifiably boast of how their new Cascades program’s first-ever trip to the Canada West championship yielded a bronze medal for the men’s team. Jasmit Phulka won the gold in the 82 kg class. His brother Chanmit Phulka won the gold in the 100 kg class. The Cascades also won three silver medals: Aso Palani (61 kg), Devin Purewal (72 kg), Brad Hildenbrandt (90 kg) and Manheet Kalhon (120 kg).

But last weekend all that glory had turned into embarrassment with everybody trying to avoid the media as the Abbotsford News newspaper revealed that four male wrestlers from UFV had been suspended from competing at a national championship on the weekend and were part of a “conduct investigation” at the university.

UFV co-head coach Raj Virdi
UFV co-head coach Raj Virdi

The university authorities would not say anything beyond the official statement: “As per standard practice and privacy legislation, the university cannot comment on any pending conduct investigations. We take all allegations under conduct very seriously.”

But the newspaper reported that the investigation was in the aftermath of the Canada West championships on February 13 and 14 at the University of Calgary.

Both the Calgary Police and Abbotsford Police spokespersons told the media that they had received no complaints from any witnesses or victims as yet, though Abbotsford Police spokesperson Constable Ian MacDonald  told CTV last weekend that three university students had come to them with concerns relating to the suspension of four male UFV athletes.

Wrestler Chanmit Phulka
Wrestler Chanmit Phulka

“They’ve heard rumours, no specifics, but they’ve heard rumbling, and they want this to be on the community’s radar and to a certain extent on the APD’s radar. It certainly is,” Macdonald told CTV.

CTV reported that there are allegations of harassment on social media, though the university would not confirm this. One alleged victim’s family members who did not want to be identified said the situation has taken a deep emotional toll on the family.

CTV later reported that their sources told them that it all happened at a party in Calgary that got out of hand.

UFV spokesperson Dave Pinton in an email to CTV said: “The University of the Fraser Valley takes any allegation under conduct policy very seriously. It is the university’s practice to work with the authorities whenever there is a criminal investigation initiated.”

Co-coach Bhullar told CTV: “I’m not going to comment at this time. The university has asked us to wait until the investigation plays out.”

1 COMMENT

  1. “The University of the Fraser Valley takes any allegation under conduct policy very seriously. It is the university’s practice to work with the authorities whenever there is a criminal investigation initiated.”

    this is not actually true of the university of the fraser valley. I had the unfortunate opportunity to go to this university in 2011. I was called a faggot, a fairy, a weirdo and a tranny by my fellow students, often times when a teacher was present. With that said I was also ganged up on by the teachers at UFV and one even suggested I should “make my next objectibve women” and began to shun me. Funny thing is, I have no desire for sex compaired to other people I suppose… and in any case that should all be something I should be allowed to have within the privacy of my own home (in other word who I have sex with is for me to decide not UFV). But apparently smiling at people at the university of the fraser valley mean you want to have sex with them and not that you are just happy to be there. I also had my address and phone number handed out to an entire classroom and began to recieve prank calls within a week of that happening, and even after leaving the school I still get harrassed by either their employees of former (or current) students.

    I did make a complaint to human rights about all of this, but up to this point they have only managed to send back a letter that basically shames me for pointing for being bullied… and if I wanted to return to this school I would need to undergo a barrage of assessments by a psychologist. All that so I can return to a place that doesn’t seem to take responsibility for their own actions.

    So yes, misconduct, bullying and sexual harrassment run rampant at the university of the fraser valley, and I am proof of that. If ever there was a university that needed a wake up call it is this one.

    apologies about the spelling mistakes.

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