Last Update on: June 19th, 2020 at 11:01 pm
Amid the nationwide call to boycott Chinese products, the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council has decided to take a call on the title sponsorship. Chinese technology company Vivo is currently the title sponsor of the tournament.
In December last year, Vivo retained the title sponsorship of the IPL after submitting a bid of Rs 2,199 crore over the next five years. Vivo had won the rights for IPL title sponsorship for the first time in 2016. The calls to boycott China have started after the bloody clash between Indian and Chinese troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India lost 20 of its soldiers in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley region on Monday night. The Chinese side has also suffered heavy casualties of over 40 soldiers. The face-off took place while efforts to de-escalate the tensions along the LAC in eastern Ladakh were taking place.
IPL’s official Twitter handle confirmed the news, stating that the GC would have a meeting next week to take a final call on the matter.
“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,” stated IPL.
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 🇮🇳
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) June 19, 2020
Earlier on Thursday, BCCI treasurer had said that while Vivo would continue to be the sponsors, the board would not hesitate in snapping the ties if the government asks.
“No, we have not decided anything on this. We need to understand the difference between helping Chinese company and their causes and taking support from Chinese companies to help India’s causes. If a Chinese company is taking money from Indian consumers and selling their phones and then India restrains them from taking that money to China and we pay taxes from it to the government, I am helping the Indian cause,” Dhumal had told Times Now.
“For us the country comes first, everything else is immaterial. In case the government decides we have to do away with the contract, we will do it the very next day. We will support our government officials they decide to ban, we as such don’t buy any products from China, but if and when the government decided to do away with sponsorship from China, BCCI will agree with that,” he added.
