Sports goods maker oppose FDI proposal

The proposal to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the manufacture of sports good has come as a jolt to the city's sports industry, which had already been struggling against the dumping of Chinese sports products.

The city's Sports Forum called an emergency meeting of industrialists to formulate a strategy to express the industry's strong resentment to the appropriate authorities.

"A report published by a section of the media that the Centre is positively considering 51 per cent foreign investment in multibrand retailing in sports goods probably next month has come as a severe jolt to the already ailing sports industry," said Sanjay Kohli, president of the forum.

The sports industry here had been expecting to get a boost from the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in India. A delegation of industrialists will meet Union Minister of State for Industry Ashwani Kumar and apprise him about the threat to the indigenous sports industry if FDI is allowed.