Vivo to withdraw as sponsor of IPL after protests in India

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to lose its title sponsor Vivo as the Chinese mobile phone manufacturer bowed to pressure from protesters angered by conflicts along the border between the two countries.

Vivo to withdraw as sponsor of IPL

There have been widespread calls for boycotts of Chinese goods and services in India since a clash in the Himalayas which reportedly claimed the lives of 20 Indian troops.

Phonemaker Vivo have reportedly taken the decision out of the IPL’s hands and have pulled out of backing this year’s tournament at least. The 2020 edition of the IPL has been switched to the United Arab Emirates because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The failure of the IPL to announce a new sponsor or indeed end the relationship with Vivo sparked angry protests in India this week.

Going back on a five-year deal

Vivo has already paid $330 million to the Board of Control for Cricket in India for a five-year IPL deal up to 2022 but has faced opposition since the deadly clash which also left an unknown number of Chinese soldiers dead.

Tensions are high between the nuclear neighbours and the Indian government has already banned dozens of Chinese apps, including the video-sharing platform TikTok, and taken other measures to restrict trade with China.

There was no immediate comment from Vivo or the BCCI but reports from India claim the parties are negotiating a way for the Chinese firm to exit the deal.

“All I can say is that all our sponsors are with us. Hopefully you can read between the lines,” an IPL Governing Council member told PTI.

Growing anti-Chinese sentiment in India

Nationalist movements in India had called for a boycott of the IPL if the offending sponsor was not removed.

“We want to urge the IPL organisers to reconsider their stand on sponsorship by Chinese companies,” said a statement from Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), the cultural arm of the influential Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“Please remember the nation’s pride and security above all,” it added. There was also widespread social media outrage.

According to PTI, the BCCI was in talks with Indian companies about stepping in for this edition of the IPL but expected to make less than the $60 million it would have got from Vivo.

The 2020 IPL will be held at three venues in the UAE between 19 September and 10 November. Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai will serve as the home of the IPL for the upcoming event.