After picking up a bronze medal from a renowned biennial sports event, a Hamilton wrestler is setting his sights on higher accolades at a world competition in August.
Hillfield Strathallen College student Amaan Gulacha is now a two time bronze medallist after scoring another reward at the recent 2022 Junior (Under-20) Pan-American (Pan-Am) Championships in Mexico.
Canadian men earned a pair of silver medals as well as six bronze at the event held over two days in the central Mexican town of Oaxtepec in early July.
A soon to be University of Michigan product, Gulacha says he’ll be pursuing a wrestling career inspired by his dad who took to the sport in India.
“He did it at the high school level when he came over (to Canada) but couldn’t continue with it,” Gulacha told 900 CHML’s Good Morning Hamilton.
“But he made it his goal to make sure that I surpassed him, and I think we’re on that track right now.”
Doors would open for Amaan when he hit Grade 10, winning an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) wrestling competition at 15.
“That’s when doors started to open up to me,” according to Gulacha.
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“I won my first national championship and it’s like, oh… I have options.”
Gulacha has been getting help with his technique via national team partners and the Brock University varsity teams at a state of the art wrestling club compound.
He says additional support from Hillfield Strathallen educators have helped him stay on track with his studies in light of recent ventures away from Canada.
“Hillfield has been a big part of my life and the support staff is just insane for me in my academic goals and in my athletic goals,” Gulacha said.
“It’s never been hard to fall back and then catch up.”
At Michigan, the 17-year-old is looking forward to advancing his aspirations with mentoring from pro level coaches like U.S. gold medalist and two-time world champion Kevin Jackson and Big Ten and NWCA National Coach of the Year, Sean Bormet.
“I was reached out to by some other schools, but, I was already locked in,” said Gulacha.
“Once I found out that I can get to the division one level, I knew Michigan was right there.”
The under-20 United World Wrestling championships, set for mid-August in Sofia, Bulgaria, will be the first for the teen participating in the 74-kilogram weight class.
“Last year I only did the Pan Am because I was a bit too young … but … I’m expecting to bring back a medal for our country,” he said.
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