ACAPULCO, MEXICO: A member of the Vancouver Police Department and Surrey’s star wrestler Amar Dhesi has qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics as part of Canada’s wrestling team.
Team Canada has qualified its first five wrestlers for Paris 2024. The final day of the Pan-American (Pan-Am) Olympic Qualifiers wrapped up last week, with the men’s freestyle event. According to the Canadian Olympic Committee website Canada once again had six athletes vying for qualification and in the end Surrey, B.C.’s Amar Dhesi and Montreal’s Alex Moore joined the three women Justina Di Stasio, Ana Godinez Gonzalez (62kg), and Hannah Taylor who earned their tickets to Paris
Dhesi, who is also a Vancouver Police officer was congratulated by VPD Deputy Chief Officer Steve Rai. Rai wrote on Platform X, “Huge congrats today to VPD’s Amar Dhesi! Qualified for the #2024ParisOlympics, #Canadian heavyweight #wrestling team.”
VPD Constable Dhesi, who trains out of Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club, was Canada’s lone returning Olympian from the 2021 Games in Tokyo. He started the competition with a qualification round match against Aaron Johnson (JAM).
Dhesi made quick work of Johnson, winning 11-0. That moved Dhesi on to face Jose Dias Robertti (VEN) in the quarter final. Dhesi again won by superiority, this time by a score of 13-2.
With that, Dhesi advanced to the semi final where a win over Ibrain Torres Espinosa (CUB) would earn him his second Olympic appearance. Dhesi put on a great performance in the match, earning the win by superiority 11-0 to punch his ticket to Paris.
“It feels great to qualify for my second Games. I want to give a special thanks to my family, friends and especially coaches for getting me here. It may have been short, with just three years since the last Olympics, but it still felt like a long journey to me. Now, I am glad I get to do it again. Let’s go get an Olympic medal!” said Dhesi.
According to the Canadian Olympic Committee website, Dhesi is not the only wrestler in his family. His father Balbir was an elite wrestler in India before moving to Canada and starting a youth wrestling club in Surrey in 1976.
