Powerhouse Brock gets even stronger
The rich keep getting richer.
After winning its eighth straight U SPORTS national championship and 21st overall Canadian university crown in March, the Brock men’s wrestling team will have Iranian immigrant Yazdan Farokhizad on its roster for the 2023-24 season.
The 19-year-old, who came to Canada with his parents and sister in October 2022, boasts an impressive resume with three Iranian titles at the cadet and junior level as well as a junior national high school championship.
“He is going to be a tough guy to beat at the U SPORTS level,” Brock head coach Marty Calder said. “He has tons of potential and he knows wrestling. He is a young kid but he is very experienced.”
Calder applauds all the effort Farokhizad put in to get himself in a position to wrestle for Brock.
“He came and it has been a tough battle for him. He went through English as a second language for a year and his marks were good but it’s just that transition into a different culture that has been a challenge. He is handling it very well and he is a hard worker.”
Learning the language was no easy feat for Farokhizad.
“When I came here, the language was so challenging and tricky for me but after I practised more than five hours per day and communicated with a lot of people here, fortunately I made a lot of friends and they supported me as well. After one year, I can speak English well.”
It was a year full of obstacles with the biggest being unable to compete for Brock.
“It was so challenging for me and now it is challenging too because I am waiting to get my permanent residency in Canada. I can’t wrestle at Pan-American championships or nationals or other tournaments. But it’s a start and I am working hard two times a day and hopefully I can become Canada’s 97-kilogram wrestler at the next world championships. I am looking to be the Canadian champion and raise the Canadian flag at the world championships.”
He missed family and friends back in Iran but he has quickly found a home in Canada.
“I like everything about Canada, especially the Canadian flag. It is my hope to raise that flag as soon as possible. Everything is perfect here and I like the people because they support each other. They are kind and respectful.”
Canada was the first choice for his family.
“My father has a travel agency and he knew a lot of things about Canada. Because of that, we chose Canada.”
He was quick to land on the wrestling mats once he arrived.
“After I emigrated, I started wrestling after just three days because I was jet-lagged. My first tournament was the SFU tournament in Vancouver. It was really good for me and it was a great experience.”
He loves the Brock wrestling room.
“Brock is one of the best teams in Canada. There are world champions and Olympians here and there are nice coaches here: Marty Calder, Dave Collie and Miss (Heather) Sweezey. They always support me and I am happy that I am here.
“We are working hard which is similar to Iran. There is everything here and there are a lot of good trainers.We have four mats here (Canada Games Park) which is so great. It is the same as Iran’s national team.”
He can’t wait to compete as a Brock Badger.
“I am so excited. Last year I couldn’t compete for USPORTS and OUA (Ontario University Athletics) and I am hoping to prove myself and my abilities using all my experiences from Iran. I always try to wrestle like Iranians wrestle.”
He has big goals in mind for his wrestle career in Canada.
“My mindset is just senior. I don’t think about junior or under-23 and I am working hard day by day.”
