SIALKOT, May 26 (APP): On the eve of the FIFA Football World Cup 2006 to be held in Germany from June 9, over 55.8 million footballs worth more than Rs 8.5 billion have been exported from Sialkot so far.

Local manufacturers and exporters engaged in the soccer ball industry are making hectic efforts to meet the demand of foreign buyers and ensure speedy and timely delivery of the consignments.

According to business sources here, over 85 percent of the total production of soccer balls in the world comes from Sialkot, while all international brands are sourcing their supply of footballs from this export-oriented city and nucleus of cottage industry in the country.

Over 40 million balls worth US $ 210 million are produced annually by some 60,000 highly skilled workforce of Sialkot, a city which enjoys a unique position in global trade with reference to sports goods.

Its main forte is hand stitched inflatable balls, which have been produced for almost a century now, and are being exported to world markets by 1000 plus entrepreneurs. An added impetus has been provided as the local industry has been purged of the stigma of child labour.

The stitching of soccer balls started in Sialkot during the 20th century with supplies sent to the British forces, but after independence the industry grew at an impressive pace, making the world recognize the formidable position of this city vis-a-vis its favourite sport.

Today, almost all international buyers rush to Sialkot to secure their supply chains, building strong and long term business relations with the local exporters.

In the 1980s, Sialkot gained ‘international celebrity’ status when it produced the ‘Tango’ ball used in FIFA World Cup in 1982, which led to further growth of the soccer ball industry.

The success story of Sialkot based industries is based on the unmatched skill and craftsmanship of local workers. Business globe trotters of the world have recognised the potential of Sialkot as a matchless export-oriented city of Pakistan.

With a century old industrial base, the city has developed an incredible export culture over the decades, and is contributing up to $ 800 million to the national exchequer annually.

The exporters meanwhile continue efforts to double the export volume despite the increasingly tough competition in world markets today, to fetch valuable foreign exchange for the country.

The development of cottage industries in Sialkot has assumed a model status for the developing world. The city is sprinkled with thousands of small and medium enterprises engaged in honouring their global export commitments for value-added quality goods including sports items, surgical instruments, leather products, gloves, musical instruments etc.

At the moment however, the city is gripped mainly by football fever, with business activity at its peak in and around the city. A rush of cargo agents is witnessed at the Sialkot Dryport for clearance and dispatch of soccer ball consignments well before the commencement of the World Cup, while the Collectorate of Customs Sambrial has also extended the working hours of the export section and PRAL to facilitate exporters.
http://www.app.com.pk/business.htm

nice, i didnt know that sialkot made so many footballs and sports equipment. and also of high quality for FIFA to use them.

Pakistan is world reknowned for its sports equipment. Sialkot is where Nike makes the majority of it quality footballs.

most of the sports things are made in Sialkot and it is great to hear that, i once heard Pakistan was banned in a world cup because they filled drugs in the balls is that true ?

Im from sialkot...My moms Chachoo owns a huge football and leather jacket buissness there He travels all over the world dubai chicago berlin and sells them to partners etc...

He's enrolling his son this year in harvard

Sialkot has huge potential to become a major leather, IT and outsources destination

Sialkot has a lot of factories producing top-quality medical, sports and leather goods. most of these get exported and are sold at extremely high prices, expecially in the case of leather products.

Im from sialkot...My moms Chachoo owns a huge football and leather jacket buissness there He travels all over the world dubai chicago berlin and sells them to partners etc...

He's enrolling his son this year in harvard

Sialkot has huge potential to become a major leather, IT and outsources destination

Lein .. Sialkoti have a major hold in Germany due to the sports industry of Pakistan, however, the bad part is that we have never been able to upgrade our own marketing to start a local brand name of international repute.

We are sub-contractor's of international brands since a century and not that I am complaining .. I feel proud that in the world cup there is a 80% chance that the people who are playing are using Pakistani made football, but other countries India, Vietnam, etc. are catching up and we should start extensively to sell and put ads of our own Brand .. especially in Afria & South America where Football is nearly a religion.

Muat7 i agree, and in order to keep ahead modernisation is required too, i posted a news story about it, a lot of jobs have come under threat due to modernisation.

i was watching a documentry on sialkot's foot ball prodction it was mention that annually world wide 40 million balls are produced and out of that 40 million sialkot alone produces abt 35+ million balls so we have huge share in the production. as must 7 said we shud start our own brands. i think we can be successfull as we can offer same quality that nike does but with cheapers prices.... also i dont think india and vietnam will be able to take much share from pakistan usless they gave same quality for less. as i mentioned we have abt 87% of the world foot ball production its huge..

Excellent!

We need to stress that the factories that produce Pakistani brands are the same ones that once produced famous European and American brands; we can start with local markets, producing high level goods and selling them for good prices. The Eastern Market should be captured with Pakistani brands.

Lein303 what is the name of your uncles company ? and do you know the Vital Group of Industris in Sialkot ?

Dunno his company's name but he is a proprietership.

The major industry's in sialkot are leather, footballs and doctor matierials but currently the govt is making 2 new modern engineering universities in the area which can serve as a huge potential to the poor but greatly educated