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Quest for Olympic gold
The visions of Arjan Bhullar becoming champion of the world began long before he was born. His father, Avtar Bhullar, an immigrant from India, who came to Vancouver in the early 70s, was an accomplished wrestler himself.
He dreamt of one day helping his future son achieve what he was not able to; with this, the seeds were planted for Arjan Bhullar's ultimate quest of becoming the best.
Last week, Bhullar became the first Canadian South Asian to qualify for freestyle wrestling in the Olympics. He is a five-time World Team member; has won three gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal and in 2009 was named Canadian Wrestler of the Year. In addition, he took part in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India and brought home the gold.
Bhullar is optimistic about London. "I have a few weeks left to achieve this aspect of my dream, and I think it is well within my reach."
Ampri Group, a Richmond-based development company, is sponsoring Bhullar as he sets pace for his 2012 Olympics journey in London.
Athletic sponsorships are a rarity in the real estate development and investment field, but for Ampri Group CEO Amit Sandhu, the connection between championing sport and business forged the sponsorship idea. Bhullar and Sandhu, both 27 years old, from Richmond, and SFU alumni are young leaders within their distinctive fields, determined to step up, give back, and lead by example.
Beyond this, both have carved niche successes as second generation Canadians, whose parents emigrated from India and aspired to create better lives for their families.
"Arjan is a true leader in his field, striving for excellence on the ultimate world stage. We're proud to support Arjan in his journey to Olympic Gold," noted Sandhu.
“Ampri Group believes in strengthening community through the work we do, whether it's supporting education, health or in this case athletes and sport. This is why our partnership with Arjan was the perfect fit, he stands for doing more than just the expected. He goes above and beyond the realm of his sport.”
Family has always been a very important aspect of Arjan's life. He grew up on a farm in Richmond, British Columbia, where there was never a dull moment as numerous family members shared the same roof, putting them at close to two dozen.
Besides family, the door was always open for family friends and new immigrants who passed through and stayed as long as they needed in order to get on their feet. The family had built a makeshift gym out of concrete and wood for the wrestler at that time, his father Avtar; and it is said that Arjan took his very first steps on the wrestling mat in that very gym.
Arjan began wrestling at a very early age, yet stayed competitive in several other sports; mainly basketball and football. He went to James Whiteside Elementary School and played the center position- scoring the winning basket as time expired, helping his team win the city championships and earning him the MVP award.
He continued to compete in all three sports and eventually enrolled into Hugh McRoberts Secondary. It was in high school that he helped his football team, the Richmond Raiders, to another city championship. Even though he enjoyed both football and basketball, he had a constant pull towards wrestling.
The family moved onto a bigger farm and built another gym. It was here that Arjan put in countless hours of work as his father coached him and laid the foundation on which numerous coaches and athletes would later build upon.
Bhullar is also a proponent of hands-on community involvement as a spokesperson for the federally and provincially funded “Violence Against Women” campaign, motivates children to achieve their goals as a member of the national program “The Esteem Team,” built the family owned Bhullar Sports Academy in Richmond. He also constructed a gym that is free for those in the village in India, where his family hails from - Arjan is a true Champion of Sport.
For Bhullar, Ampri Group’s support came as a welcome surprise. "I have never had a local company support me in my effort in the way Ampri Group has. People like the Sandhu Family enable me to have a singular focus on my dream of being an Olympic champion. I can't thank Ampri Group enough, as their support will greatly improve my journey to the Olympics," Bhullar said.
Bhullar’s quest for Olympic gold is not without challengers. “On the world level there are many who can be viewed as competition. And there are also domestic rivals, but like anything I am working to separate myself from all others. I rely on my focused determination and unrelenting support from family, friends and sponsors to take me to the next stages.”
Sandhu, an avid fan and fellow community advocate, respects Bhullar’s skill and professionalism and hopes Ampri Group’s sponsorship will generate more interest in the sport. "Wrestling is a challenging sport and receives a lot less attention than hockey or football,” noted Sandhu. “Arjan is a top wrestler in the country and deserves the recognition and respect.”
In anticipation of Bhullar’s journey to the Olympics, a thank you sponsorship banquet, highlighting Ampri Group, as a title sponsor will be held on June 22, 2012. Past Olympians, members of the sporting community, politicians, national and local media, and other sponsors will compose the anticipated 1000 guests in attendance. As the last public appearance before leaving for London, the Bhullar Family encourages anyone who would like to attend or show their support for Arjan to contact Jora Bhullar at 604-338-0753.
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