The row over the sponsorship of the London Olympics by Dow Chemicals rumbles on.
India's Olympic body is to demand that the sponsorship deal is axed, because of its ties to the Bhopal disaster in 1984 (Dow purchased Union Carbide 16 years after the disaster).
Reuters quotes the Indian Olympic Association's acting president, Vijay Malhotra, who said:
"We are proposing to write to the IOC London Olympics that this sponsor should be out of it.
Since these games are for friendship it should not be one of the sponsors."
It is not clear what action the body would take if its request was rejected, as India has already ruled out a boycott.
Barry Gardiner MP has backed India's campaign to have Dow dropped as a sponsor. He has called for an inquiry into the tender process, that led to the company being granted the deal to sponsor a temporary wrap to decorate the Olympic stadium.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
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www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
CRB Checks on Torchbearers
The Home Office will be carrying out a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on all Olympic torchbearers for next year's 2012 London Olympics.
However, according to Locog, previous convictions may not stop them from carrying the torch; Locog will make a "judgement call".
I assume those previously convicted of arson will be disqualified from carrying the torch?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
However, according to Locog, previous convictions may not stop them from carrying the torch; Locog will make a "judgement call".
I assume those previously convicted of arson will be disqualified from carrying the torch?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Olympics Budget Warning
I have warned on numerous occasions on this site about the dangers of an overrun of the Olympics "budget", eg in April 2008 I wrote the following:
"The government received a damning blow to its reputation for "financial competence" (I use that phrase with heavy irony) yesterday, when the Public Accounts Committee accused it of "wishful thinking" over the "budget" (an exaggerated term for the back of an envelope calculations) prepared by those "in charge" of the London 2012 Olympics.
The Committee warned that taxpayers may well have to pay more than the current £12BN (including £2BN running costs) estimated for the games."
It seems that others are finally waking up to the dangers of an overspend on the "movable feast" of the Olympics budget.
A report criticising a number of key aspects of the organisation of Olympics (including its budget), compiled by the National Audit Office over the last year, has been published today.
The Washington Post quotes Amyas Morse, the head of the National Audit Office:
"The government is confident that there is money available to meet known risks, but, in my view, the likelihood that the games can still be funded within the existing 9.3 billion-pound public sector funding package is so finely balanced that there is a real risk more money will be needed.”
Unfortunately, the NAO has its figures wrong. It has ignored the £2BN running costs, which put the current "budget" at £12BN.
Not a great start!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
"The government received a damning blow to its reputation for "financial competence" (I use that phrase with heavy irony) yesterday, when the Public Accounts Committee accused it of "wishful thinking" over the "budget" (an exaggerated term for the back of an envelope calculations) prepared by those "in charge" of the London 2012 Olympics.
The Committee warned that taxpayers may well have to pay more than the current £12BN (including £2BN running costs) estimated for the games."
It seems that others are finally waking up to the dangers of an overspend on the "movable feast" of the Olympics budget.
A report criticising a number of key aspects of the organisation of Olympics (including its budget), compiled by the National Audit Office over the last year, has been published today.
The Washington Post quotes Amyas Morse, the head of the National Audit Office:
"The government is confident that there is money available to meet known risks, but, in my view, the likelihood that the games can still be funded within the existing 9.3 billion-pound public sector funding package is so finely balanced that there is a real risk more money will be needed.”
Unfortunately, the NAO has its figures wrong. It has ignored the £2BN running costs, which put the current "budget" at £12BN.
Not a great start!
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, 5 December 2011
Olympics Budget Broken Again
Unsurprisingly the "budget" for the London 2012 Olympics has yet again proven to be unreliable.
It seems that Locog (which was meant to pay for the ceremonies) can't run its operations within budget, and that "tedious" things such as security expenditure for the games have pushed it into the red.
For reasons best known to those who are regulating and "controlling" the forthcoming games, Locog is not subject to public scrutiny because it is a private company.
Surely someone should have ensured that the company that "organises" the games (whether it was private or public) was subject to public scrutiny, given that it is spending our money?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Taxpayers are having to contribute a further £41M to the £40M "budget" allocated to opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.
The Olympics Minister, Hugh Robertson, unconvincingly tried to use a Gordon Brown trick of describing it as an "investment".
Why do we have to pay more?The Olympics Minister, Hugh Robertson, unconvincingly tried to use a Gordon Brown trick of describing it as an "investment".
It seems that Locog (which was meant to pay for the ceremonies) can't run its operations within budget, and that "tedious" things such as security expenditure for the games have pushed it into the red.
For reasons best known to those who are regulating and "controlling" the forthcoming games, Locog is not subject to public scrutiny because it is a private company.
Surely someone should have ensured that the company that "organises" the games (whether it was private or public) was subject to public scrutiny, given that it is spending our money?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
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