- Title: Meet the soccer ball maker of Marrakech
- Date: 16th December 2022
- Summary: MARRAKECH, MOROCCO (DECEMBER 16, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF KAMAL BOUKENTAR SEWING A LEATHER SOCCER BALL IN HIS SMALL SHOP 'LA CLINIQUE DU BALLON' (FRENCH FOR 'THE BALL CLINIC') (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOROCCAN LEATHER BALLS MAKER, KAMAL BOUKENTAR, SAYING: "The idea arrived to Morocco, probably in the 1950s. At the time, there were Moroccans who made balls but this was a very
- Embargoed: 30th December 2022 17:03
- Keywords: Morocco World Cup ball leather soccer
- Location: MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
- City: MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
- Country: Morocco
- Topics: Africa,Sport,World Cup
- Reuters ID: LVA001722116122022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:In his small craft shop in the leather-working neighborhood of Marrakech, Kamal Boukentar meticulously stitches a leather soccer ball as part of his family business at "La Clinique Du Ballon", French for 'The Clinic Ball'.
The 50-year-old ball maker said he inherited the expertise of making soccer and rugby balls from his parents who started the business in 1965.
The craft of leather soccer balls, Boukentar explained, came from Europe and Latin America.
"The idea arrived to Morocco, probably in the 1950s years. At the time, there were Moroccans who made balls but this was a very long time ago, there are no more left, and my family has specialized in the making of balls since the 1960s," he added.
Boukentar believes "La Clinique Du Ballon" is the last in the Arab world "and almost the Muslim world" to make leather soccer balls the way it does. "We are really the experts of all this," he proudly stated.
Next to a photo frame of him with former French soccer player Didier Six hanging on the wall, Boukentar was making a leather soccer ball according to what he said was the 1920 Argentinian design that was used in the 1928 Summer Olympics and the finals of the first World Cup tournament in 1930.
Boukentar said he remakes famous balls as well as his own designs. Finishing a ball could take him anytime between two days up to two weeks, between manufacturing, sewing, and maintenance.
Commenting on the ongoing FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the national Morocco team's run, Boukentar said they "didn't really have much luck".
Morocco, punching above their weight, beat Belgium and Canada in the group stage before eliminating 2010 world champions Spain on penalties in the last 16 and then beating 2016 European champions Portugal in the quarter-finals.
Morocco's dream run ended in the last four against France, but they still became the first African and Arab country to reach a World Cup semi-final.
"Our Moroccan dream stopped at the semi-finals. We have the chance to play for the third or fourth place, so we are in the golden four... At least, we represent the Arab world, Africa and then the Muslim world on the international soccer scene," Boukentar said.
Morocco is set to play the World Cup third-place playoff final against Croatia on Saturday (December 17).
(Production: Juan Medina, Yara Abi Nader) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None