India's Olympics Gatecrasher Madhura Nagendra Apologizes, Says ‘It Was Error Of Judgment’

An Indian woman, who got worldwide attention after she gatecrashed into the Indian Olympic contingent's march past at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics last week, has apologized for her action.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, Madhura Nagendra said that she hadn't breached the security at the games. She claimed that it was an "error of judgment" on her part.

Madhura, dressed in red and blue outfits which were in stark contrast with the Indian sports team's yellow costume, had grabbed the attention by walking beside flag bearer wrestler Sushil Kumar. She received severe criticism for her act.

Madhura said she decided to speak to the media to quell the rumors and clarify the confusion surrounding her action.  

"I apologize to the nation for having hurt the sentiments of people and sports lovers. I did not know that my presence right in front of the Indian contingent would create such a controversy. I'm part of the casting committee. I admit my mistake," she told reporters in Bangalore, PTI reported.

The Indian Olympic Association had earlier said that her presence in the parade had been a security breach.

The London Olympics Committee apologized, and its chief Sebastian Coe said that Madhura had been "slightly over excited" and was not a "security threat." After the preliminary investigation, the Olympic Committee let her off without any punitive action.

Madhura, a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, was part of a troupe for the opening ceremony. She claimed that she had "all access" entry card as a part of the cast team.

"Nobody objected to my presence in the Indian team contingent.... I just went along with the flow of the event. I was a threat to nobody. I did not carry any weapons besides the smile I wore."  Madhura said.

Madhura, who completed her post-graduate course in mass communication at the Christ University in Bangalore in 2009, is pursuing her MBA in the UK.