Tokyo 2020 Olympics: India drops Chinese brand Li-Ning after ‘public backlash’

Indian Olympic Association announces the delegation will wear unbranded apparel after ending deal with manufacturer that outfitted the team for Rio 2016 Olympics

New Li-Ning kit for Tokyo Games was revealed this month before outcry from public forced U-turn; China asks India to ‘avoid politicising the issue’

Reading Time:2 minutes

India’s Dipa Karmakar competes wearing Li-Ning sportswear during the artistic gymnastics test event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:41pm, 11 Jun 2021

The Indian Olympic Association’s decision to drop Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning as their official partner for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics next month has been met with a response from China’s foreign ministry, risking the issue becoming another source of tension between the countries.

“We hope India can view regular cooperation between countries objectively and fairly, and avoid politicising the issue,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said this week.

This comes despite the IOA saying that they did not want the issue of who made the uniforms to be a distraction.

Relations between the two countries have soured with 20 Indian soldiers killed in border clashes last year and the IOA cited public backlash as the reason for dropping the Chinese brand.

India unveiled their Li-Ning produced teamwear earlier this month on the 50-day countdown to Tokyo on July 23, but they have made a quick about face in response to a public outcry.