Almost 70% of footballs that are created worldwide are made in this Pakistani city. Before 2011, football was India’s second-largest export item. Pakistan began making heat-bonded stitchless balls in 2011. They are more durable and hold their shape better. In 2014 and 2018, the Islamic Republic was awarded FIFA World Cup contracts. Nearly 70% of world soccer balls are made in the Pakistani city of Sialkot. There are more than 1,000 firms making soccer balls in Sialkot, employing almost 60,000 people. In spite of Pakistan’s FIFA rating of 198, the country shipped 38 million soccer balls for $154 million prior to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Football in Sialkot: a brief history
Discovering when and how Sialkot became famous for its soccer balls is fascinating. Historically, soccer balls have been made in the region since the British colonial era. When the football-obsessed Britons ordered supplies from Britain, they would become agitated while waiting for the shipment of footballs to arrive by sea. According to legend, in 1886, a British officer asked a Sialkot saddle maker if he could repair his punctured football, and after being impressed with his skills, he placed an order for a batch of footballs. Since then, the city has produced numerous footballs for the game, players, and fans.
Since footballs are traditionally hand-stitched, however, the stitching and artisan skills of employees of Sialkot earned the city, for the first time, the FIFA World Cup 1982 contract to manufacture the balls for Spain. Pakistan’s footballs for the 1982 World Cup were an upgraded version of the Adidas Tango Ball, which initially appeared at the 1978 FIFA World Cup. It was the first time a rubber inlay covered the seams of the leather ball to ensure water would not leak into the ball during the 1982 World Cup.
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As a result, it was the very first World Cup ball that had water resistance. This was essential since otherwise, the ball would get heavier as water seeped through the seams. During the game, the rubber used to prevent Water entry and would wear out due to normal kicking and would need to be replaced. It was the last genuine leather World Cup football. The town of Sialkot is also known for producing volleyballs, hockey sticks, and cricket bats. Due to their high-quality final products, local manufacturers believe Pakistani firms take business away from their Chinese competitors.
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