MYAS to IOA: Don't include Chinese sponsor on Indian Olympic kit
The Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to be held from July 23. Meanwhile, the Indian contingent is supposed to be around 190 strong. While the official kit for the side was launched last week, the inclusion of a Chinese sponsor on the kit has upset a few.
FollowThe Indian contingent is getting ready to travel to Tokyo for the upcoming Olympics Games, slated to get underway from July 23. The entire group is likely to be around 190 athletes strong.
Ahead of the same, the official kit for the entire Indian Olympic contingent was launched last week, under the presence of Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju. While the design of the kit was applauded, some were unhappy with its sponsor.
The official kit for the Tokyo-bound Indian athletes would be sponsored by Chinese-based sportswear company Li Ning, whereas Raymonds would sponsor the official ceremony kits. However, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has requested IOA to avoid having the name of the Chinese sponsor on the kit.
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Although ANI reports that there were some internal issues regarding the Chinese sponsor, it did not clarify what. "We are having a meeting. Once we take any decision, we will make it public," a source from IOA was quoted as saying.
As for the sponsor, India has a long-standing relationship with Li Ning. However, it would be interesting to see if IOA decides to drop it as its official sponsor. Also, it would be a challenge for IOA to rope in a new sponsor at such short notice, while it would need one to generate funds.
Since last year, the Indo-China relations have taken a hit after the Chinese soldiers allegedly invaded some parts of the Indian territory and tried to claim it. Furthermore, China has been in the bad books of the world, as it is apparently held responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, with reports stating the coronavirus was produced as a bio-weapon in a laboratory at Wuhan.
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