Jacques Rogge urges India not to ban 2012 London Games

The International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has urged India’s Olympic association (IOA) to talk with its athletes over ongoing protests related to the 2012 London Games’ sponsorship deal with Dow Chemical.

The Indian government has asked its Olympic association to raise the issue of the sponsorship deal in the latest sign of pressure on organisers to reconsider the involvement of a company linked to the Bhopal gas disaster.

Many victims and activists hold Dow responsible for failing to give enough compensation to victims and some have called for a boycott of the London Games. The pesticide plant was owned by Union Carbide, which settled its liabilities with the Indian government in 1989 by paying $470 million for Bhopal victims. “Definitely we respect a lot the emotion in India because this is a horrific catastrophe,” Rogge said. “While we totally understand the emotions and the grief one has to say that Dow Chemical was not involved in the Bhopal issue. We have advised the IOA to enter into a dialogue with their athletes and this is what they will do. I would hope the interest of sport and interest of the athletes will prevail,” he said.

“Every measure calling for a boycott is a measure that is hurting Indian sport and I am glad to say that there is no intention at the level of the IOA to consider such actions,” added Rogge, ahead of IOC’s executive committee meeting.