India won't boycott Olympics over Dow sponsorship

The Indian Olympic Association has ruled out a boycott of the London 2012 Olympic Games, rejecting calls from human rights campaigners and some Indian athletes protesting about Dow Chemical's sponsorship of the games. At issue is Dow's connection with the Bhopal toxic chemical leak in 1984, one of the world's worst industrial accidents that caused huge loss of life. The decision to allow Dow to provide the decorative fabric 'wrap' encircling the Olympic stadium has generated controversy for the games' organisers.

Dow is the 'official chemistry company' of the Olympic movement and is one of 11 Worldwide Olympic Partners. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) announced in August that Dow would provide the wrap after the UK government decided it could not justify the £7 million funding. Dow is also providing other products, such as the hockey pitch and the flooring in the media centre.

The sustainable wrap will comprise 336 panels - each about 25m high and 2.5m wide. Made from resins of polyethylene and polyester rather than PVC, the wrap will include recycled material. Printing on the wrap will use UV-curable inks to reduce emissions. The company is also investigating options for re-use of the wrap after the Games.