"Chinese Sponsorship Helping Us" - Says BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhumal Amid demand for Nationwide Ban on Chinese Products!

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Friday that it is open to review its sponsorship policy for the next cycle but will not end its association with the current IPL title sponsor Vivo. Since it is a Chinese company, BCCI has been under scrutiny. Anti- China sentiments are aggravating in the country ever since the border clash broke out at Galwan valley earlier this week. At least 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in the incident. Since then there has been a nationwide call to ban Chinese products.

Arun Dhumal, the board treasurer told the media that other countries sponsoring Indian events would only benefit the country. The BCCI gets Rs 440 crore annually from Vivo and the five-year contract ends in 2022.

"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 Press Trust of India (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 stated.

He said that he supports the idea of reducing our country’s dependency on China but he emphasized that as long as those companies are allowed to do business in India, there is no harm in them sponsoring an Indian brand.

"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 added.

"Cricketing infrastructure worth thousands of crores was created across country and none of the contract was awarded to a Chinese company. 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,” he stated in defense.