Athletes from a Richmond wrestling club will be representing the city at a national tournament this weekend.
Richmond's Bhullar Wrestling Club has eight athletes competing at the Wrestling National Tournament from April 25 to 27 in Calgary, Alta.
"I think the biggest thing for us is pretty sure that they're going to do well," said Jag Bhullar, one of the coaches..
He added that wrestlers are competing in the U15, U17 and U19 categories.
Among the eight athletes competing are Kaiya Mannapso, Riley Jhuty and Isabelle Chen.
Mannapso, former national champion in 2022 and provincial champion in 2024, said competing at the national level once again is giving her mixed emotions of excitement and nervousness.
"I feel strong in my game, my mindset and am thankful for the journey of wins and losses ..." said Mannapso.
The Grade 11 McRoberts student thanks her teammates at the club for the support and is looking forward to representing Richmond with them on the national stage.
"I've come to realize that wrestling isn't just a sport. It teaches you how hard work pays off, mental toughness, discipline, but most importantly, how to get back up when you lose," she said, adding the sport has taught her to be "a better person."
Hugh Boyd's Chen said she's feeling anxious just before the big stage in Calgary.
"With nationals just around the corner, I have to admit that I am a little anxious, but I also believe the mats don't lie. Every tough practice, every early morning, and every ounce of effort will speak for itself," said Chen.
She told the Richmond News she's looking forward to testing herself against Canada's best athletes.
"This season, we launched a school team of nine students, and it's been incredible to watch everyone grow both as athletes and as people."
Jhuty, a senior at McNair secondary, is looking forward to competing in nationals in his senior year of high school.
He described the season as having many ups and downs and is "ready to finish strong at nationals."
"I'm mostly excited for the experience that surrounds a tournament like nationals — competing against the best, making memories and representing Richmond with the rest of our team," said Jhuty.
"Wrestling's had a big impact on all of us, and I think it could do the same for a lot of others if the support from the city and school board continues to grow."
Both Mannapso and Chen echoed Jhuty's call for a school wrestling program expansion in the Richmond School District.
The athletes cited space challenges in school gyms as other sports seasons start.
"With a dedicated space for wrestling, not only could we continue to grow, but we could also open the door for even more youth in Richmond to discover this amazing sport," said Chen.
Mannapso added that she hopes wrestling could be a more "accessible option" for teens in high schools in the future.
Bhullar Wrestling Club has been running a volunteer-based wrestling program — headed by Jag, a former national champion — since 2013 in the Richmond community.
Bhullar said the club only charges insurance fees, and "what keeps the lights on" in the building for the teens to train.
"A lot of high schools used to have wrestling programs in the past, and they all closed down due to budget cuts and teachers not having the time to put in and so on," said Bhullar.
"Our goal is to create a place where all kids from Richmond could train in wrestling, stay away from the drugs and other stuff and channel their aggression into the sport."
The club currently runs practices out of their own facility, with the Hugh Boyd wrestling team training from their own school gym.
"I know that athletic directors are trying to create some hub so that all these kids and high schools have a place to train, because right now they don't really have a place to train other than our club," he added.
📣 Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected].
📲 To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter.
💬 Words missing in article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
