Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: June 30, 2022 | 
| 中文
Workers making Brazuca balls, used in 2014 FIFA World Cup
Sialkot recently came into the limelight, once again, for producing soccer balls named 'Al Rihla' for the 2023 FIFA World Cup. It is not the first time that Sialkot made headlines for making footballs for the mega event, for it has done so in 1983, 2000 and 2014 also. The sports industry in Sialkot was kickstarted in the early 1880s when the British officials required cricket bats, hockey sticks, polo sticks and soccer balls. Currently, the industries in Sialkot export sports products worldwide, providing employment opportunities to over sixty thousand people.
Sialkot's exports amount to more than six percent of Pakistan's total exports, around 900 million USD. 60% of Sialkot's exports are done through the Sialkot Dry Port Trust, while 40% are from ports in other cities. Along with sports, Sialkot is also known for its production of surgical instruments.
A 70 years old stitching a soccer ball (Picture credits to Dawn)
The first soccer ball was made in Sialkot in 1889, when a British group in India asked the locals to make footballs for them, and since then, there has been no looking back. There are around 2000 soccer ball industries in Sialkot, a district with a population of about two million, with an astonishingly high proportion of the population occupied in the football industry. There are over sixty thousand regular workers, while the number of daily wage workers fluctuates with demand.
Sialkot gained international popularity as a hub of the sports manufacturing industry in 1982 when Sialkot-made 'Tango Balls' were used in the FIFA World Cup that year. All the major international brands like Nike, Adidas, Diadora, Umbro, Reebok, Wilsoms, Litto and others are sourcing their supply of footballs from Sialkot. 42 million soccer balls were exported worldwide from Sialkot in 2014, a record number because of the high demand created by the FIFA World Cup. According to the Business Insider, 70% of the world's soccer balls are produced in Sialkot. Safdar Sandal, former Chairman of the Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, has said that with the help of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the idea of establishing a soccer village in Sialkot is being planned.
Workers sewing footballs
Sialkot's industry is mostly focused on traditional methods of production, but due to international demands, they are adopting new technology in the industry. For example, FIFA has discontinued the use of hand-stitched footballs in international games, so industries in Sialkot are adopting new techniques to cater to international demands. 435 million PKR project 'Sports Industries Development Centre' (SIDC) has been initiated by the government to help the local industry in modernizing and adopting new technology.
A cricket ball being made by hand (Picture credits to Dawn)
Cricket is undoubtedly the most popular game in Pakistan, and Sialkot has many companies producing cricket equipment, like bats, balls, helmets, and protective gear. MB Malik Sports is the most famous company making cricket bats in Pakistan, which can compete with international brands like Gray-Nicolls and GM Sports. Many international cricketers, like Shahid Afridi and Azhar Ali, have used MB Malik's bats. Cricket bats in Sialkot are made from Kashmiri willow, and what sets MB Malik bats apart from other international brands is that their craftsmen use their own hands to saw the wood, apply the lacquer and amend the rough edges. The skillful workers of Sialkot's sports industry also produce other sports equipment, like hockey sticks, tennis rackets, volley balls and other sports gear.
The workers are the catalyst behind making Sialkot the hub of sports equipment in the world, however, the working conditions of the labor are very poor. An average wage worker earns 650 PKR per day, which is less than the minimum wage of 22 thousand rupees. And from that 650 PKR per day, the worker has to bear the expenses of travel, food, and other emergencies. The employees have few rights, except for those few industries linked to international brands, while many of the local brands try to dupe the multinationals they serve. In 2006, on one such complaint about child labor and wage issues, Nike conducted an inquiry and terminated its contract with a Sialkot-based company, 'Saga Sports'. Nike used to make 100% of its footballs in Pakistan with the help of Saga Sports, but after terminating its contract with them, they gave the contract to another company. Now Nike makes only 40% of its footballs in Pakistan and 60% in other countries. Due to these issues, Pakistan is losing its already established market that could account for billions.
A 13 year old making a cricket bat (Picture credits to Dawn)
Despite thriving as the hub of the sports industry for over seven decades, it is our failure that the Sialkot sports industry is still far from becoming a conglomerate of billions of dollars. The lack of governmental monitoring and implementation of basic rules and laws, is the main reason for the failure to fully utilize the potential of the city. Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association requested the government of Pakistan in 2017 to develop the sports industry by providing research and development funds, hoping that it would double sports exports in five years. The Sialkot industry could not diversify its products and has stuck to producing the same goods due to the lack of technological advancement and market research. Pakistan's South Asian neighbors, especially, China and India, are far ahead in this regard. The energy crisis, lack of human resource development and unavailability of sufficient funding has caused the industry to lag behind as compared to other countries in exports.
Worker putting rubber grip on cricket bats
If Pakistan is to make Sialkot's sports industry competitive, Pakistan must modernize it, improve the working conditions of its workers, so that international brands invest in it. This is the only viable strategy to revitalize Sialkot's sports industry.
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