The Hundred: New cricket tournament criticised by health campaigners over snack food sponsorship

The Hundred team kits have been criticised by anti-obestiy campaigners
Getty Images for ECB
Luke O'Reilly4 October 2019

New cricket tournament The Hundred has been criticised by anti-obesity campaigners for having KP Snacks as a sponsor.

Each team will wear shirts featuring a different KP Snacks brand including Skips, Hula Hoops, Butterkist, Pom-Bear and McCoy's.

Health campaigners have pointed out that it would take a full cricket match to burn off the calories from one packet of crisps.

KP Snacks said it was "helping to grow cricket and encourage families to get active", while tournament organisers said the partnership "will enable us to introduce the tournament to more families".

Caroline Cerny, alliance lead at the Obesity Health Alliance, said: "Junk food brands' sponsorship of popular sporting events is just another way they make sure their unhealthy products take centre stage in children's minds.

"We know that the relentless exposure to junk food marketing that children today are exposed to influences their food choices and how much they eat.

Joe Root of Trent Rockets, one of the teams that will be competing in The Hundred
Getty Images for ECB

"Meanwhile, junk food brands benefit from the unhelpful association between their fatty, sugary products and healthy activity, but ultimately it's children's health that will pay the price."

Barbara Crowther, co-ordinator of the Children's Food Campaign, added: "Quite frankly we're stumped as to how the England and Wales Cricket Board could choose a high-fat, high-salt snacking brand as an appropriate partner for The Hundred.

"Instead of promoting a healthy lifestyle, players will now effectively look like vending machines for junk food.

"Even (English cricketer) Ben Stokes would be hard pushed in one game of The Hundred to clock up the 400 runs - or five miles - required to run off just 100g of McCoy's cheese and onion crisps.

"English cricket should be using its power in support of efforts to halve child obesity by 2030, not becoming complicit with the marketing spin of the junk food industry."

Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said Amsterdam had banned sports sponsorship by junk food firms.

"In the UK, we should follow this example," he said. "The England and Wales Cricket Board could have found any number of rich philanthropic organisations to fund its laudable objectives.

"Sadly, it didn't, with the result that our children will shortly see their heroes turned into advertising hoardings. It's quite irresponsible and unbelievably sad."

Kevin McNair, marketing director of KP Snacks, said at the launch of the partnership: "We're excited to be a part of revealing the designs of the official kits in the next stage of our long-term partnership with The Hundred, which aims to encourage families across the UK to be more active through cricket."

Sanjay Patel, managing director of The Hundred contest, added: "The Hundred's partnership with KP Snacks will enable us to introduce cricket to more families.

"Our collaborative goal is to demonstrate the many benefits that playing cricket has and encourage balanced, healthy and active lifestyles."

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