Ivri perseveres to win bronze
Ezekiel Ivri headed to the recent Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations wrestling championships in Hamilton with high expectations.
“The preparations during the year were to win OFSAA and I was told all year that this is the time,” the Grade 11 student at A.N. Myer said. “I went in the first day and won all of my matches within the first round or first 30 seconds and I was really confident. That was a big part of it and I had Zubin (Gatta) in my corner. He was telling me the whole time that I was the one to beat.”
Gatta knows what he was talking about considering he won two OFSAA golds, including one in 2023.
Unfortunately for Ivri, the injury bug bit at the end of Day 1.
“I tore my shoulder and it is still a bit tweaked right now. My parents were considering not letting me wrestle because they didn’t want there to be permanent damage,” the 16-year-old Niagara-on-the-Lake resident said Thursday night while training at Canada Games Park. “But I felt it was something that I had prepared all year for so I was going to fight through it even if it was just for one match to get on the podium.”
Ivri continued on and was beaten by technical superiority in the semifinals in his first match on Day 2.
“After that, it kind of really rocked my confidence and I was telling myself that I was injured and was wondering if I should continue to wrestling. But Zubin told me this is one of the things you have to fight through as an OFSAA wrestler.”
Ivri agreed and ended up winning his last two matches to bring home a bronze medal in the 51-kilogram division. He pinned his first opponent within 45 seconds and then pinned his second opponent as well which resulted in having a bronze medal hung around his neck.
“It was everything that I had worked all year for had kind of paid off even if wasn’t what I had hoped for. I had gotten something out of it and working with the Brock varsity team I feel like it really helped me during hard situations,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do last year but this year I had a better way to adjust to it.”
Ivri has won gold and silver medals at the provincial championships, was second at the Canada East tournament and won bronze at this year’s youth nationals but it is the OFSAA medal that means the most to him.
“If you win at OFSAA, you are thought of as one of the top guys in Ontario. I won provincials this year but OFSAA was the main goal.”
There were three provincials champions competing in the 51-kilogram division at OFSAA this year.
“I ended up beating one of them to get third.”
He is not sure where his wrestling career will take him.
“I am only in Grade 11 and I want to go where it is the best place for me. I have been wrestling with the (Brock) wrestling team this year and I feel that I have made a lot of improvements. I want to go as far as I can go in my wrestling career.”
Wrestling for Brock is appealing to him.
“In Canada, they are the best program and I know the coaches there. I feel that they know how to work with me.”
His ultimate goal is to gain some international experience.
“The worlds and Pan-Ams are what I am hoping to do, see how I do there and open my horizons for what the rest of the world is like for a wrestler.”
Ivri has been wrestling with the Brock Junior Badgers since he was five.
“Zeke is just a great person to coach. He always has such good, positive energy when he comes to practice and he is always willing to work,” Brock Junior Badgers coach Ryan Weicker said. “The best thing about him is the smile on his face no matter if you are pushing him in tough times or if it is good times.”
