- Title: "Made-in-Sialkot" Adidas ball puts Pakistan in the World Cup
- Date: 9th December 2022
- Summary: SIALKOT, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN (RECENT - DECEMBER 2, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC MOVING ON SIALKOT STREET VARIOUS OF QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTORS CHECKING SOCCER BALLS VARIOUS OF QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR, ADEEL ASAD, INSPECTING SOCCER BALL (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR, ADEEL ASAD, SAYING: “It is a matter of great honour and pride for us that the balls th
- Embargoed: 23rd December 2022 10:35
- Keywords: BALLS FACTORY PAKISTAN SIALKOT SOCCER
- Location: SIALKOT, PAKISTAN
- City: SIALKOT, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001439604122022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Pakistan didn't make it to this World Cup, but soccer balls made in its northeastern city of Sialkot are dominating the training field at the FIFA tournament in Qatar.
Sialkot-based Forward Sports, a multinational sports equipment company which has been working with Adidas AG for almost 20 years, is one of two manufacturers of Adidas' Al Rihla, the official World Cup ball.
Forward Sports Director Hassan Masood Khawaja told Reuters his company had made 5.5 million Al Rihla balls, including some 60,000 high-quality replicas of the ball used in the matches, just without the technology that Adidas introduced for the first time this year.
The 1,280 limited-edition balls that feature the "Connected Ball Technology", which provides match officials with real-time data to support fast and accurate offside calls, are made in China. When asked to give details about this manufacturer, Adidas declined to comment.
"How do we do it? It's the skill of the people...and our love for the sport," Khawaja said. The balls made by Forward Sports in Sialkot are used in training in Qatar, and sold as a premium product to football enthusiasts across the globe.
Sialkot has a rich history of manufacturing soccer balls and other sporting equipment dating back to colonial times. Pakistan gained independence from Britain in 1947.
Today, Pakistan remains one of the world's biggest producers of soccer balls, along with China and India, and Sialkot is the industry hub. The local chamber of commerce said more than 43 million balls valued at $191 million were made in the city in the financial year that ended June 2022.
About 8% of Sialkot's population of around one million people work in the industry, but many workers say they have little time to actually see their product in action.
"We work all day," said Forward Sports quality control inspector Amna, when asked if she watched soccer. "At night, when we go home, we need to rest."
(Production: Naeem Abbas, Sheree Sardar, Salahuddin) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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