NEW DELHI: Even as the odds that the Indian Premier League will have its run this year itself in the slot that might be vacated IF the Men’s T20 World Cup Australia gets taken off the calendar, comes a fresh financial challenge.
With tensions heightening between India and China, and the media-driven decibel levels for boycott calls of Chinese products increase, scrutiny of the IPL, Indian sports most high profile event, is clearly a worry for the mandarins running the BCCI.
More so since the Indian Olympic Association, whose financial stakes in the matter is limited to say the least, is talking up its patriotic credentials.
While IOA secretary general Rajiv Mehta asserted the “country comes first”, treasurer Anandeshwar Pandey told Hindustan Times: “It’s my personal opinion that the IOA should immediately snap its sponsorship with Li-Ning. It’s high time that we oppose China and its products. I respect the feelings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I believe that the IOA will take a call on this at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) soon… the country comes first and we should all stand united.”
“Li-Ning is a Chinese brand and we have an agreement till the Tokyo Olympics. If there is such a position, then we will have to think… then this issue will be discussed in the IOA General house. No decision is taken at an individual level. We have an agreement with them (till the Tokyo Olympics). They were also our kitting partners during the Rio Olympics. But we are with the country first,” Mehta told HT.
The IOA and Li-Ning signed a deal in May 2018 that runs till the Tokyo Olympics. The Chinese company would sponsor training apparel, leisure wear and football for the Indian team, including officials for 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, 2018 Olympic Youth Games and Tokyo Olympics. The deal is reportedly worth around Rs 50-60 million.
Meanwhile, Indian Weightlifting Federation secretary Sahdev Yadav said that ALL federations should start boycotting Chinese sports products.
That the BCCI’s position is markedly different from the likes of the IOA and the IWF is putting it mildly. IF the BCCI were to toe the line on the boycott China call, it is immediately looking at a Rs 4.4 billion shortfall in its expected revenues from this year’s tournament. Why? The five-year title sponsorship rights deal Chinese smartphone brand Vivo inked with the BCCI in 2018 is worth all of Rs 21.99 million, which translates to a Rs 4.4 billion-per-year financial commitment.
The BCCI would have been in an even tighter spot if Vivo’s sister smartphone brand OPPO had not pulled back on the Team India sponsorship it inked in 2017, offering to pay Rs 10.79 billion over five years. It would have come as a huge relief for the BCCI that online education unicorn BYJU’s has replaced OPPO as Team India sponsor.
Another plus point for the BCCI is that any sponsorship decisions around the IPL will not have to be made till a date has been confirmed for the IPL, which at this point has September as the potential start window.
