'No boycott of Olympics'

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will not boycott the 2012 London Olympics, despite Dow Chemicals’ association with the event.

The association will send a “strong letter of protest” to the Olympics panel asking for the removal of the company from the event. On the first day of IOA’s executive board and general body meeting, the members were of the opinion that there should not be a boycott of the event in the interest of the athletes who have been preparing for it for the past four years.

“We have decided not to boycott the 2012 London Olympics but we will surely send a strong letter of protest to the International Olympic Committee against the involvement of Dow Chemicals as a sponsor in the games,” said a vice-president of IOA who was at the meeting.

“The general view was not to boycott the Games because many athletes have been preparing for the event and the sporting event is for them.” Members also reportedly said that a boycott will be against the spirit of the event.

Senior members of the executive board suggested that sporting events must be kept out of politics because the union government has already raised the issue at an appropriate international forum.

In the course of the meeting, the executive board members of IOA discussed the recent letter written by sports ministry to IOA asking them to strongly protest the involvement of Dow Chemicals as a sponsor and demand for an immediate removal of the company from the event.

“We have very strong sentiments against the multinational company. Many former Olympic players and non-government organisations have conveyed their resentment against the company so we have decided to convey our wishes to IOC,” said the member soon after the meeting.