It was a meeting of highly skilled wrestlers from around Ontario on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at the Markham Pan Am Centre, at the end of the intense competition, Muna Assams returned to Robert Land Academy (RLA) sporting a new, hard-earned, Bronze Medal.

The Ontario Cadet Open, Juvenile & U-23 Championships, sanctioned by the Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association featured club wrestlers from around Ontario who are top-level athletes.

“This level of wrestling is a bit more sophisticated than the local high school program as it is run by coaches who are certified under the National Coaches Certification Program and they train more rigorously than the average high school team,” said RLA wrestling coach Tim Finamore.  “What sets them apart is they also have access to further training and camps provided by the OAWA, often featuring former Olympic, World, National, or Provincial Champions. Wrestling at this level is not a hobby, but a lifestyle for these athletes.”

Assam’s first match was against a wrestler from Team Extreme that he is familiar with, a wrestler he battled and won over in a recent West Humber tournament. Assams won with a 7 – 2 score.

In his second match, he met with another wrestler whom he had met in competition before. After a tough match, Assams lost by one point, scoring was 7 – 6 for the opponent.

In his third match, he faced an unknown opponent from the Sarnia Blue Water Wrestling Club. He dominated on the mat ending with a 12 – 2 victory to earn him a position in the Bronze Medal match.

To earn the Bronze, Assams faced an opponent from the Warriors Wrestling Academy. After two successful double-leg takedowns and two failed throw attempts by his opponent, he ended up pinning his opponent and becoming the Ontario Provincial Juvenile 92kg Bronze Medalist.

“It was a lot of tough matches,” Assams said. “It was also intense.”

“I was very nervous,” he said. “It was my first provincials, I’ve never done provincials ever before in my life.”

“They were really tough matches, I went 3 and 1 against some really tough guys, I was the lightest guy in my division,” he said.

There were 11 competitors in his weight bracket.

Assams is very serious about his wrestling.

“I take every tournament seriously,” he said. “I learn from everyone, I want to improve, I want to do the best I can.”

The academy has helped Assams pursue his wrestling passion to this level.

“Capt. Dyson has been great, he’s been organizing the program for me, making arrangements for me to go to these events and we have been able to train with the Junior Brock Badgers wrestlers through the coaches at RLA,” he said.

He credits some of his success to the academy’s fitness training.

“When I first got here, I was probably strong, yes, but I wasn’t as athletic as I am now,” he said. “I also eat properly now, good healthy meals and not the stuff I would eat at home.”

For the future, Assams plans on doing his best for all upcoming tournaments. He is looking forward to wrestling for a university team.

“I have big plans for university,” he said. “I hope to compete at the provincial level as an adult and maybe go on to national level competition.”