India won't boycott London Olympics over Dow sponsorship

New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will not the 2012 London Olympics, but will lodge a strong protest over the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy tainted Dow Chemicals sponsoring the sporting event.

The decision to not boycott the Olympic Games was taken at the IOA Executive Board meeting on Thursday in New Delhi.

The victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy have been demanding that India boycott the 2012 Olympic Games if Dow stays on as a sponsor. The IOA's Executive Board will write a strong protest letter to the International Olympic Committee, seeking the removal of the company as a sponsor of the Games next year.

"We will write a strong letter to IOC about the Dow Chemicals association with the Olympic Games. It will convey the strong sentiments of the Indian people in this regard. The executive has also decided to discuss the issue and leave it to the IOA General Body," a source said after the meeting.

"The members are not in favour of a boycott of the Games as it would be unfair on the athletes and go against the spirit of the Olympic movement. The Executive also discussed the Sports Ministry's letter asking it to disassociate itself from Dow Chemicals," the source said.

The IOA's Annual General Meeting will start later in the day and will continue on Friday.

An official press conference is scheduled for Friday. The Executive also discussed the Sports Ministry's letter which had told the IOA to covey the Indian resentment to the IOC over a company linked with Union Carbide, which was responsible for the death of thousands in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.

Earlier, IOA Acting President VK Malhotra had demanded Dow's removal as an Olympic sponsor.

"Olympics are about love, brotherhood and transparency and this company (Dow) is linked with another which was responsible for killing thousands of Indian people. It's unacceptable that such a company is a sponsor in the Olympics. So we will ask the London organisers to remove the company from being a sponsor," Malhotra had said.

Malhotra also said that the IOA's Annual General Meeting rejected the contentious Sports Bill "in totality".

"The GBM (General Body Meeting) has rejected the Sports Bill in totality. We consider it as an attempt by the sports ministry to take control of the IOA and NSFs. It is not right on the part of the government to pass this Bill," he said.

(With additional information from PTI)

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