While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was today forced to contemplate the possibility of scrapping the remainder of the Beijing Olympic torch relay in the wake of widespread anti-China protests in London and Paris, India said it was opposed to such a move.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi said India would like the relay to continue and was against any move either to curtail the current relay or altogether scrap the international legs of the relay for future Olympic Games.

“Our stand has been that the relay should go on,” Kalmadi told The Indian Express from Beijing. He is in the Chinese capital to attend the IOC meetings.

“Every country has its set of problems. Everywhere you have groups of people who do not agree with the policies of a country. But that cannot be a rationale to scrap the Olympic torch relay. The Olympic movement is much bigger,” Kalmadi said.

While Kalmadi articulated India’s position, statements from high-ranking IOC officials, including its president Jacques Rogge, clearly indicated that scrapping the current relay was a real possibility.

To a question whether the continuation of the relay was certain, Rogge was quoted by news agencies as saying: “I’m not saying whether it is certain or not. There will be a discussion of the executive board on the torch relay but I attach on that absolutely no speculation whatever.”

Rogge said the matter would come up for discussion during the Executive Board meeting in Beijing on Friday.

IOC vice-president Gunilla Lindberg from Sweden said a full review of the relay was needed. “I am sure it will be discussed (at the Beijing meetings),” she was quoted as saying.

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