(ATR) Indian Olympic Association acting president VK Malhotra tells Around the Rings the IOA will not boycott the London Olympics, despite government calls for the IOC to drop Dow Chemical's 2012 sponsorship.
Malhotra today indicated that India could participate in the Games under protest over the controversial partnership.
"We are still protesting to the IOC and requested our government to look into the matter," he told ATR Monday.
"The IOA and government should be in the same way of thinking."
"We have not decided to boycott," he added.
The IOA Executive Board will meet on Friday to consider whether India will participate under protest at this summer's Games.
Gunilla Lindberg, secretary general of the Association of National Olympic Committees, told ATR Monday that she had not received assurances from IOA officials about their participation at London 2012 but was fully expecting India to send its athletes to the Games. India is expected to send a 70-strong team to the Olympics.
"Of course it's a concern," she said of the ongoing protests over Dow's association with London 2012.
"We are close to the Games... and the IOC has its position, LOCOG has its position. We want everybody to be there," she said.
"I think a boycott is no alternative," Lindberg added. "Boycotts are no way of moving forward.
"It is written in the Olympic Charter that all NOCs have to participate in the Olympic Games otherwise there will be sanctions."
Malhotra's comments came a few days after the Indian government wrote to the IOC asking for the Dow Chemical sponsorship to be scrapped. The Indian sports ministry formal protest echoes an appeal made by Indian Olympic chiefs earlier this year.
In comments reported by the Press Trust of India, Malhotra criticized the government for its lack of clarity on protests about Dow Chemicals.
"We have asked the government to tell us its stand on the issue. They can take up the matter with the United States government as Dow Chemicals is based there or it can take it up at forums like the United Nations. But it is not doing that," Malhotra said.
"Just a few days ago we came to know that entities in the agriculture ministry have links with Dow Chemicals. We want to know if this was the case how can we protest against Dow Chemicals? The government has not even been able to act against that company in the country, then our case is weak," Malhotra said.
The IOC and London 2012 organizers have dismissed frequent calls to drop Dow Chemical's sponsorship in recent months.
In a February letter to the IOA, president Jacques Rogge maintained that the company, a TOP sponsor, was not to blame for the 1984 Bhopal disaster in which thousands were killed after a plant owned by Union Carbide India Limited leaked toxic gas into the city. Dow bought Union Carbide in 2001.
Last week, IOC marketing chief Gerhard Heiberg told ATR he was expecting a flurry of criticism when the installation of the Olympic stadium fabric wrap supplied by Dow begins in early March.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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