India, Jan. 15 -- An entrepreneur in China has found herself at the centre of a heated public debate after promising to gift a car to every member of a city football team if they won a major competition and then failing to deliver on that pledge, according to a report by South China Morning Post.

The entrepreneur, Tang Lei, is the chairwoman of Xinlantian Group, a car dealership based in Yongzhou in central China. While many online users criticised her for backing out of her promise, the local football association took a more conciliatory stance, saying it would not pressure her to fulfil the commitment, citing her financial difficulties.

The association's response struck a chord with the public. It was viewed 22 million times on a main...