July 29, 2012
An investigation is being conducted to figure out how an unidentified woman led the Indian Olympic team during the opening ceremony. India’s chef de mission claims he does not know who she is or why she was allowed to walk.
July 29, 2012
An investigation is being conducted to figure out how an unidentified woman led the Indian Olympic team during the opening ceremony. India’s chef de mission claims he does not know who she is or why she was allowed to walk.
India's flagbearer Sushil Kumar leads his country's delegation during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 27, 2012 at the Olympic stadium in London.
An investigation is underway in the Indian Olympic camp after an imposter slipped into the opening ceremony and hogged the limelight from the real athletes.
The unidentified young woman, wearing turquoise trousers and a red hoodie, led out the team in Stratford last night despite having nothing to do with the squad, who were all wearing yellow turbans or saris.
India's chef de mission PK Muralidharan Raja has demanded an explanation from organizers. "She had no business to walk in with the Indian contingent and we are taking up the issue with the organizers.
"We don't know who she is and why she was allowed to walk in. It is a shame that she was with the athletes in the march past," Raja told Indian media.
"We were initially told that she would accompany the contingent till the track but she went on to take the entire lap. There was another man also but he stayed back and did not enter the stadium," Raja said.
"The Indian contingent was shown for hardly 10 seconds in the TV coverage and the entire focus sadly was on this lady, instead of the athletes."
He added: "We have taken strong exception to this. The march past is for the athletes and officials attached to the contingent. We are totally taken by surprise how a person could just intrude into the track."
Eighty-one Indian athletes will compete in London, the country's biggest ever contingent. Hopes are high that the squad will put an end to what the Financial Times this week uncharitably referred to as India's "uniquely inept record". The nation of 1.2 billion people has only won 20 medals in 100 years of Olympic participation.
Courtesy: The Guardian
