India’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics quest overshadowed by controversy over Chinese sponsor Li-Ning

The Indian Olympic Committee is searching for a new sponsor and kit after dropping the Chinese brand amid public anger

Top badminton player Jwala Gutta, who was sponsored by Li-Ning, said the timing was unfortunate and the athletes must be protected

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Narinder Batra, the chief of the IOA, said the body was going ahead with manufacturing kits and looking for new sponsors. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:45pm, 12 Jun 2021Updated: 8:32am, 21 Jun 2021

India’s quest for Olympic glory has run into a hurdle, even before it can start.

Days after Olympic kits for its athletes were unveiled by sports minister Kiren Rijiju at a special ceremony, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) cut ties with the main sponsor of the team, the Chinese sports brand Li-Ning.

The decision has now become a diplomatic irritant for New Delhi, after the Chinese foreign ministry said it expected India to view bilateral cooperation in an “objective and fair manner”, rather than “politicising” it.

But with less than 40 days to go before the sporting spectacle kicks off, India’s top Olympic body is now scurrying to find new apparel sponsors. Insiders said the logistical challenges are immense – the IOA has limited time to secure the new sponsors and then manufacture the apparel with its logo.

It also has to ensure that it is able to produce enough kits for the 190-odd athletes it plans to send to Tokyo next month, apart from the support staff. The Covid-19 pandemic and local lockdowns across the country have added to its logistical woes.

Officially, though, it is putting on a brave face. Narinder Batra, the chief of the IOA, said the body was going ahead with manufacturing the kits. “We will try and see if we get new sponsors, but if we don’t get one, we are capable of footing the cost by ourselves,” he said, adding that the logos for the new sponsors “can always be stuck on later”.

The controversy erupted after Rijiju was heavily criticised by social media users for unveiling kits produced by a Chinese company, at a time when tensions between the two countries remain high.