IPL 2020: Traders' body CAIT criticises BCCI for retaining Chinese company Vivo as sponsor

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), a trader’s body has criticised BCCI’s decision to retain Chinese company Vivo as the title sponsor for the upcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL). According to a  report in The Print, the trade organisation has written to Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asking the central government not to grant permission for the event, which is scheduled to take place in the UAE from 19 September to 10 November.  “We are constrained to bring to your kind notice the recent decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to retain Chinese company VIVO as its title sponsor for IPL to be held in Dubai,” writes Praveen Khandelwal, the CAIT national general secretary in a letter. “At a time when Chinese aggression on Indian borders in last month gave much rise to the sentiments of people of India against China and the Union Government under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is espousing his call for ‘vocal for local’ and ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’, the decision of the BCCI runs contrary to the broad policy of the government," the letter said. “The decision of the BCCI smacks of its lust for money in utter disregard of safety of the people and that too involving Chinese companies.” On Sunday, the IPL governing council (GC) confirmed the dates of the event and also said that the board will retain all its sponsors. “All I can say is that all our sponsors are with us. Hopefully you can read between the lines,” an IPL GC member told PTI on condition of anonymity after Sunday’s meeting. As IPL title sponsor, VIVO pays around Rs 440 crore per year, a five-year deal that ends in 2022. It would have been difficult for the Board to get new sponsors at a short notice given the current financially difficult climate.