IOA President Wants Dow Out; Qatar Builds Olympic Museum; Women and Sport Speakers

IOA Wants Dow Chemical Dropped from Olympics

Vijay Kumar Malhotra, head of the Indian Olympic Association, says the IOA will ask LOCOG to drop Dow Chemical as a sponsor.

The AFP reports that the IOA’s acting president said Wednesday that the company should be let go over an industrial disaster in Bhopal, India.

"We will express our displeasure to London Games organizers and ask them to drop Dow as one of their sponsors," Malhotra was quoted by the French news agency.

In 1984, a plant owned by Union Carbide India Limited leaked toxic gas into the city of Bhopal, killing tens of thousands in the subsequent days and years. Dow Chemical bought the Union Carbide Corporation in 2001.

Dow has denied any responsibility for the incident, while activists and Bhopal survivors claim the company has failed to clean up the area or compensate victims.

The IOA will discuss its demands over the next two days at a meeting of the NOC.

IOA secretary general Randhir Singh said "The sentiments of the people should be put forth," adding "we cannot ignore them."

While Malhotra has consistently said that the IOA would not boycott the Games, activists and some Indian athletes wish otherwise.

Former hockey player Aslam Sher Khan reportedly met with Malhotra on Wednesday to demand a boycott. AFP reports he submitted a petition signed by 11,000 people opposing India’s participation next year.

"Our government and our Olympic Committee should build pressure on the organizing committee of London on behalf of Bhopal and the entire country to remove Dow Chemical from the sponsorship of London Olympics," said Khan.

"Otherwise, it will not only hurt the sentiments of people of Bhopal, but of the entire nation."

Qatar Builds Olympic Museum, Anti-Doping Lab

Doha 2011 spokesman Abdulla Al Mulla says Qatar isn’t focusing solely on the bidding scene.

After winning rights to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, launching a 2020 Olympic bid and now staging the Arab Games all within the span of a year, the country is also keeping tabs on its own sport development.

The oil-rich Gulf state, already home to top regional training facilities like Aspire Academy, now is branching out to build an Olympic Museum and state-of-the-art anti-doping laboratory.

According to Mulla, the museum is under construction within showpiece Khalifa Stadium and will be completed in 2014 as part of its scheduled refurbishment.

"Our children and grandchildren will have a chance to see what their forefathers did in sports," he said Tuesday during an IAAF media seminar on the sidelines of the ongoing Arab Games.

Anti-doping Laboratory Qatar (ADLQ) will open a year after the museum in 2015.

"The 10,000 square-meter facility will cater to athletes throughout the Gulfregion and the whole of west Asia," said Mulla, also media and broadcasting director for Doha 2011.

He was speaking to reportersabout Qatar’s so-called "National Vision for 2030" – an ambitious plan devised by government and sports leaders to make their country the world’s top event destination within the next two decades.

"Under the auspices and guidance of the Qatar Olympic Committee," Mulli explained, "world-class facilities and services, sporting venues, innovative infrastructure, accommodation facilities, hospitality packages, media development programs and well experienced international and local staff are preparing the country to reach its goal."

Women and Sport Speaker Lineup

President Jacques Rogge will lead the lineup of speakers for the IOC World Conference on Women and Sport.

The initial list of speakers was unveiled Tuesday and will also include Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis, among others.

"The IOC is working hard to provide equal opportunities for women in sport, and it is encouraging to note the progress that has been made in this field," said Rogge. "This conference will allow us to look at ways of building further on this positive trend."

Scheduled for Feb. 16-18, the gathering will take place in Los Angeles.

"Together Stronger: The Future of Sport," is the theme of the conference, which hopes to increase the participation of women in sport.

Sunday Bada, Silver Medalist, 42

Sunday Bada, a silver medalist in the 4x400m relay, died on Monday. He was 42.

The International Association of Athletics Federations said in a statement he died at the National Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria on Monday evening. He was serving as technical director for Nigeria’s athletics federation.

He was part of Nigeria’s 4x400m relay team at the Sydney Olympics.

"The IAAF on behalf of the global athletics family offers its condolences and sympathy to the family and friends of Sunday Bada who will be sadly missed," the federation said in a statement.

Media Watch

Stephen Urquhart, president of Omega, discusses the TOP sponsor’s London 2012 plans with business newspaper City AM.

With reporting from Armstrong Augusto Vaz in Doha and Ann Cantrell in Atlanta.

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