Amritsar, Aug 30: Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the 50-kg final match in the Paris games, on Friday visited the holiest of Sikh shrines, Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, saying she prayed for strength and courage.

After offering prayers, she told the media that she was feeling good after coming here. “I am feeling a positive energy...I prayed to Waheguru to give me strength and courage,” she said, adding “May all our loved ones be healthy, our country remain safe, and continue to progress. I have sought blessings from Waheguru to guide us and help us work in the right direction for humanity.”

Donning saffron headgear and wearing a white salwar with green patterns, the wrestler along with her husband, Somvir Rathee, offered prayers at Sikhism’s holiest shrine which gets millions of visitors annually.

With her head covered, the wrestler bowed before the holy book of the Sikhs.

Functionalities of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the mini-parliament of Sikh religious affairs that controls gurdwara, including the Golden Temple, were accompanying the wrestler during the visit.

Standing in solidarity, she was honoured by Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh with a replica of the Golden Temple, gold-plated kirpan and a set of books. He described the wrestler as the daughter who brought laurels to the nation.

“She got gold for us,” Giani Harpreet Singh added.

The Phogat family performed 'parikrama' (a walk around the marbled periphery) before entering the sun-soaked and glittering all-gold sanctum sanctorum.

They bowed before the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book considered a living guru.

A day earlier, Vinesh Phogat, who was among the Olympic players who were awarded Rs 2.5 crore cash prizes by Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, said, “If you want to be a winner like me, then you have to be mad like me for the sport.

Phogat was disqualified from the women’s 50 kg wrestling category due to being overweight by 100 grams. Later her quest to win the medal came to an end when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed her plea for a joint silver.

Soon after her disqualification, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X (August 7), "Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian. Today's setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing, Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you."

--IANS

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