By R. Paul Dhillon
ABBOTSFORD – The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades have hired top Canadian wrestlers Arjan Bhullar, an Olympian, and Raj Virdi, who has wrestled on an international level, as the program’s first coaches. They will be responsible for both programs together.
Bhullar is no stranger to university wrestling or the BC Wrestling Association. A two-time NAIA national champion at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC and one time CIS national champion. Bhullar is the only wrestler to win a national title in both conferences in the same year.
In addition to Bhullar’s university success he has represented Canada five consecutive years on the senior national team. Bhullar has participated in the Pan-Am Games, earning a bronze medal, 2010 Commonwealth Games, winning a gold medal and represent Canada at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.
When Bhullar is not coaching the UFV Cascades, he is the Technical Director of Bhullar Wrestling Club in Surrey, BC.
“I am very happy to hear the news of our acceptance into the Canada West family. I am excited for the UFV program, and for our student-athletes. BC Wrestling has needed an institution to come forward and represent the province at the CIS level. We are ready to get to work and compete,” said UFV’s newly appointment head coach Arjan Bhullar.
Virdi, a graduate of Simon Fraser University, Raj has been a member of the national team for seven years and a four time medal recipient at the international level. Among Raj’s CIS awards are Male Rookie of the Year, two-time CIS individual national champion and three time All-Canadian.
“We are very excited to join Canada West in men’s and women’s wrestling at UFV. The sport of wrestling opens many doors and opportunities for us in our community, and we appreciate the overwhelming amount of support we have received so far. In addition to our other varsity sports, we believe that our wrestling program will contribute to our brand of excellence and I have no doubt we will be successful in our efforts to build an elite level program in the Fraser Valley,” said UFV Athletic Director Rocky Olfert.
As part of the hiring announcement, the UFV Cascades athletic department said Canada West has accepted their application to add men’s and women’s varsity wrestling in 2014-15 regular season. The Cascades now sport six Canada West/CIS teams in three sports, the others being basketball and soccer, admitted in September, 2006.
UFV will compete in the six team conference and be the only varsity program located in British Columbia. The other five Canada West schools that wrestle are Winnipeg, Alberta, Calgary, Saskatchewan and Regina. The current Canada West schedule is made up of five meets plus the conference championship, hosted by Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, the weekend of February 14 and 15. Wrestling is a CIS recognized sport with a championship hosted by the University of New Brunswick, in Fredericton, the weekend of February 28 to March 1st. CIS first national championship for women was the 1998-99 season and 1968-69 for men. Canada West has won 11 women’s national titles and nine men’s titles.
The Cascades home venue will be the Envision Athletic Centre. The Cascades now have 12 varsity programs, six in the CIS, four in CCAA and rowing is an independent program that rows under the Canadian University Rowing Association guidance.
