Chinese sponsorship in IPL helps Indian economy, not other way around: BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal
BCCI
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is open to the idea of reviewing sponsorship police for the next cycle but has no plans to end the current contract with IPL title sponsor Vivo. As per board treasurer Arun Dhumal, the money coming in from the Chinese company is helping India’s cause.
Following the border clash between India and China at GalwanValley earlier this week, sentiments are running high with anti-China calls all around the country. This is the first clash at the India-China border in more than four decades that has left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead. Since then, calls to boycott Chinese products have been echoing in India.
However, Dhumal is of the view that Chinese companies sponsoring an Indian event like the IPL only serve the country’s purpose. The BCCI currently gets Rs 440 crore annually from Vivo with the five-year deal ending in the year 2020.
Chinese sponsorship helping India: Arun Dhumal
"When you talk emotionally, you tend to leave the rationale behind. We have to understand the difference between supporting a Chinese company for a Chinese cause or taking help from Chinese company to support India's cause," Dhumal told PTI.
"When we are allowing Chinese companies to sell their products in India, whatever money they are taking from Indian consumer, they are paying part of it to the BCCI (as brand promotion) and the board is paying 42 per cent tax on that money to the Indian government. So, that is supporting India's cause and not China's," he argued.
Oppo was sponsoring the Indian cricket team until September 2019 when Bengaluru-based Byju’s start-up replaced the Chinese smartphone brand.
Dhumal further said that he is all in for reducing dependence on Chinese products but countered that if Chinese companies are allowed to do business in India, there is no lost cause in them sponsoring Indian brand like the IPL.
"If they are not supporting the IPL, they are likely to take that money back to China. If that money is retained here, we should be happy about it. We are supporting our government with that money (by paying taxes on it)."
"If I am giving a contract to a Chinese company to build a cricket stadium, then I am helping the Chinese economy. GCA built the world's largest cricket stadium at Motera and that contract was given to an Indian company (L&T)," he said.
"Cricketing infrastructure worth thousands of crores were created across country and none of the contracts was awarded to a Chinese company."
Dhumal went on to say the BCCI is spoilt for choice when it comes to attracting sponsors, whether Indian or Chinese or from any other nation. Dhumal explained that the BCCI is not giving money to the Chinese but is attracting on the contrary.
"If that Chinese money is coming to support Indian cricket, we should be okay with it. I am all for banning Chinese products as an individual, we are there to support our government but by getting sponsorship from Chinese company, we are helping India's cause."
"We can get sponsorship money from non-Chinese companies also including Indian firms. We can support our players any way but the idea is when they are allowed to sell their products here, it is better that part of money comes back to the Indian economy."
"The BCCI is not giving money to the Chinese, it is attracting on the contrary. We should make decision based on rationale rather than emotion," he added.