Participating in London Olympics will be a shame, says former Olympian

[Sir john]

Hockey Olympian Aslam Sher Khan today said that the Indian government, the IOA and the athletes should take a strong stand on Dow Chemical being associated with the London Olympics and the country should boycott the 2012 Games. “It would be a shame for India and the IOA to take part in London Olympics while a company linked with 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy is being associated with it. Many countries in the past have boycotted Olympics. It's time for India and its sportspersons to stand up,” said Aslam, a member of India's 1975 hockey World Cup winning team. “25 members of British Parliament protested on Dow's association with London Games and why would not Indian government and IOA do the same and boycott the Olympics,” asked Aslam, who was here to attend the formation of Olympians Association of India. Over 15,000 people died and lakhs disabled in 1984 when gas leaked out of a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal. Dow bought Union Carbide in 2001. Aslam slammed those athletes who had spoken against boycotting the Olympics. “Those athletes who had spoken against boycott of London Olympics should be ashamed of themselves. Death of more than 15,000 people and disability to thousands is no joke. It is not about an athlete not taking part in an Olympics but it is about the respect of 1.2 billion people,” said Aslam, who had been a Member of Parliament. “It will be a shame for the country if it participates in the London Olympics,” he added. Ace shooter Gagan Narang had recently said that the athletes would only lose out by boycotting Olympics. The former full back in the national hockey team accused International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge for acting as “spokesperson of Dow”. “Jacques Rogge is acting like a spokesperson of Dow Chemical. We have to fight now and show that India is no banana republic,” he said..

[Sidhoni]

Being a person who lives in Bhopal, I voted "no" bcoz we would gain nothing by not participating in Olympics.

[Tiger80]

I don't understand how Dow chemicals is now liable? If I am not wrong India already accepted compensation and discharged union carbide from all civil and criminal liabilities

[mishra]

On other day row was reported on BBC news channel.... If India really wants it and pulls correct strings it will get Dow chucked out... They dont need to boycott the olympic for petty Dow

[Sachin=GOD]

We should participate in the Olympics.

[Blue Panther]

Best way to avoid the shame of not getting medals.:two_thumbs_up:

[ViruRulez]

I have great sympathies for the victims of the Bhopal tragedy but pulling out from the Olympics is just BS. If we start pulling out from major international athletic events such as the Olympics, then don't be surprised if you do not see athletics at all in the future. Olympics are the dream platform for the thousands or rather hundreds of thousands of athletes around India and they work off their **** for at least participating there. There is no reason good enough to deny them their dreams. We pulled out of the Soccer World Cup in the past and never returned back to that level in football. Such things demotivates the athletes and cannot be done in any circumstance unless there is imminent danger to the nation.

[someone]

Best way to avoid the shame of not getting medals.:two_thumbs_up:

[Sir john]

Dow Chemical to drop its logo from London Olympics, IOA not happy

DOW Chemical has agreed to remove it logo from London's Olympic stadium but the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said that it is not satisfied with the move and wants US giant to remove its sponsorship from the 2012 Games. DOW said it was agreeing to the "vision" of the 2012 Games by waiving its sponsorship rights to place its brand on a controversial fabric wrap for the stadium which was objected by campaigners furious at the US conglomerate's links to the deadly Bhopal gas disaster. Dow was made a sponsor of London 2012 by Lord Coe's organising committee (Locog) in August. "The agreement - between Dow and - Locog was limited to branding of five 'test panels' that were to be removed in the months before the Games and were not part of the final design," Dow spokesman Scott Wheeler was quoted as saying by a British newspaper Sunday Express. "In mid-summer, Locog and Dow discussed Dow deferring the rights to these five panels to allow free and full execution of the design as determined by Locog. Dow agreed to this to - support Locog's and London 2012's vision for the stadium wrap," he added. Reacting to the report, IOA acting president V K Malhotra said he was not clear what exactly it meant and said the body would continue to press for total removal of Dow Chemical as a sponsor of the London Olympics. "I have also heard about Dow chemical withdrawing their logo from the decorative wrap but I don't know what it means," Malhotra told PTI. "Our demand is that Dow should be removed as a sponsor and we have expressed strong reservation with the Olympics. We are sending our communication to Dow as well as IOC on this regard."

:clap:

[G_B_]

just wear a black arm band. It will catch the attention of the world media. that would be better than not participating.