Anti-China sentiments are running high in India following the border clash between the two countries at Galwan valley earlier this week with fans calling for BCCI to remove Vivo, a Chinese phone manufacturer, as the title sponsor of the IPL.
On Friday, IPL’s Governing Council announced that they have convened a meeting next week to review IPL’s various sponsorship deals in the wake of the India-China border skirmish.
The Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) is feeling the heat from all quarters because of its connection with the Chinese advertisers on the Indian Premier League and the BCCI properties. The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has written a letter to the BCCI asking to end the sponsorship deals with Chinese firms after 20 Indian soldiers were killed during a clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan valley.
In the letter, CTI convenor Brijesh Goyal has also written that if BCCI does not end the deal with the Chinese firms then traders from across the nation will boycott the Indian Premier League (IPL) and all other international matches at home.
“Taking note of the border skirmish that resulted in the martyrdom of our brave jawans, the IPL Governing Council has convened a meeting next week to review IPL’s various sponsorship deals,” said a statement from IPL.
Earlier, BCCI had said that if there is a uniform directive from the government putting a blanket ban on Chinese products and sponsors, then only then will it be able to remove Vivo as the title sponsor of the IPL.
“BCCI has created an infrastructure of thousands of crores in the country. If a Chinese company is earning money from the Indian consumer and paying it to the BCCI, which in turn is giving a 40 per cent tax to the government, then I believe we are helping the Indian cause,” Treasurer Arun Dhumal had said.
BCCI has Rs 2,199 crore (c.£225m), 5-year deal with Chinese handset maker VIVO for the title sponsorship of the IPL. The deal is in its 3rd year and VIVO pays Rs 440 Cr (c.£46m) per season.
Other board sponsors such as PayTM (IPL Associate Sponsor, Title Sponsor of Indian Cricket), and DreamXI (Associate Sponsor for both IPL & Indian Cricket) have Chinese investors on board. Indian team captain Virat Kohli is the brand ambassador of Chinese smartphone company iQOO.
John Stephenson
john@cricketinvestor.co.uk
#BCCI #IPL #CTI
