Chinese mobile giant VIVO retiring as a sponsor of the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) is a major victory for the Confederation of All Merchants of India, its secretary-general Praveen Khandelwal said on Tuesday. Khandelwal said the pressure applied against the Chinese manufacturer by CAIT has forced him to withdraw from the T20 tournament.
VIVO has decided to take a break and not be the primary sponsor of IPL 2020 due to mounting border tensions between India and China. VIVO told the Cricket Control Board in India (BCCI) that it would be open to return in 2021 and fulfill its contract, which will run until 2023.
Chinese mobile phone maker VIVO is the main sponsor of IPL and annually pays out the rupees million BCCI Rs 440 for the 5-year contract they won in 2017 by bidding a whopping 2,199 crore in 2017.
BCCI will have a new independent sponsor for IPL 2020, which will be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10. In the next 3 days, the BCCI is expected to present a tender for the new sponsorship.
Khandelwal said CAIT expected BCCI to make a decision and remove VIVO as its main sponsors, but they are happy that the association with the Chinese giant has ended. He added that the pressure applied by CAIT did play into the minds of the Chinese company and pushed them to make a bold decision.
Succumbing to the pressure applied by @CAITIndia in the last two days and a strong #boycottchina Sense built in the last 45 days, Chinese telecommunications giant Vivo has decided to retire as the main sponsor of # IPL2020. This is a great victory for all citizens. @praveendel pic.twitter.com/PMNbl9LEXZ
– Confederation of All Indian Merchants (CAIT) (@CAITIndia) August 4, 2020
CAIT urges BCCI to end ties with all Chinese companies
Khandelwal also demanded that the BCCI cut ties to all Chinese companies associated with the IPL or the Indian Cricket Board in any way. Other companies involved in the IPL – Paytm, Swiggy, Dream 11 – have Chinese investments. Not just the IPL, franchises also attract Chinese sponsorship.
Khandelwal also urged the BCCI to postpone or cancel the IPL, saying there is no need for the T20 tournament amid the new coronavirus pandemic. He said, “much bigger” sporting events like the Tokyo and Wimbledon Olympics have been postponed and the IPL should follow suit.
CAIT has been carrying out a ‘Boycott of Chinese goods’ campaign across the country since June 10 and has garnered support from a section of the society.
The Indian government has already banned 59 Chinese mobile apps. Calls to boycott Chinese goods escalated after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley clash on June 15.
Chinese soldiers used stones, nail sticks, iron bars, and sticks to carry out a brutal attack on Indian soldiers after protesting the construction of a Chinese lookout post on the Indian side of the Line of Control. Currently in Galwan.
The incident was the biggest clash between the two armies after their 1967 clashes at Nathu La, when India lost around 80 soldiers, while the death toll on the Chinese side exceeded 300.
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