World Cup: 55.8 mn footballs from Pakistan
May 27, 2006 18:16 IST

With the FIFA World Cup 2006 round the corner, Pakistan, the world's largest producer of soccer balls, has exported more than 55.8 million footballs worth $14 million for the event.
Manufacturers and exporters engaged in the soccer ball industry in Sialkot city in Punjab province said hectic efforts are on to meet the demand and ensure speedy and timely delivery of the consignments ahead of the event beginning in Germany on June 9.

Over 85 per cent of the world's soccer balls come from Sialkot, while all international brands source their supply. Footballs worth $210 million are produced annually by some 60,000 highly skilled work force in the city.

The industry is noted for hand-stitched inflatable balls, which have been produced for almost a century now, and are being exported to world markets by over 1000 entrepreneurs.

In the 1980s, Sialkot gained international attention when it produced the "tango" ball used in FIFA World Cup 1982, further popularising its soccer ball industry.

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already been posted and discussed....

Good Job Pakistan.

Keep stitching little one's......... Pakistan's so proud of you. Too bad you'll never get a chance to ever play with any of the soccer balls you'll make!........ We're so proud of you & happy about your lost childhood so a couple Pakistani-elite can make a killing off your labor!

Little boys (most as young as 6-10y) working in sweat shops earning pennies!

An education for them would have been a better investment......... or we will end up becoming a nation of sweat shops!

See my brother this is the kind of thing i was talking about in the other thread called how can we make Pakistan a better state, and i would like to ask the same thing to Mr. clutch, yes we all know that 50% of Pakistani kids need education, we all know that you dont have to spell it out for us ! but what are you willing to do about it ?! we all know 50 % kids in Pakistan need education goverment is trying thier best, but what are you doing to help haan ?

the kids that make these footballs in pakistan get payed a tiny amount. i watched a program and it said for every football made by a kid in pakistan the kid would only get 50 pence or less.