PAKISTAN will not be a part of football matches at the Olympics, but
footballs manufactured in Sialkot will. After a Chinese machine-made
ball was selected for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, breaking years
of Pakistani domination, Sialkot`s official selection as producer for
the Olympics should please Pakistani fans of the game and serve as a
morale booster for the Sialkot sportsmanufacturing industry.
Until
2000, Pakistan was the world leader in football production. But several
factors, including global concerns about child labour, competition from
China and Thailand, and production issues related to the power crisis
have reduced the country`s share considerably. The Chinese ball used in
2010 had come under intense criticism from leading players, and the
selection of the colourful Sialkoti ball for the Olympics instead is a
sign that despite the industry`s difficulties Pakistani footballs were
able to meetplayers` needs and that leading multinational sports brands
continue to look to Sialkot for world-class footballs.
The challenge now is to regain the city`s slot as world leader in the sector.
Proper
attention paid to Sialkot`s sports-manufacturing sector can not only
provide much-needed jobs and bring in valuable foreign exchange, it
could also help improve Pakistan`s unenviable global public image.
Manufacturers need to be able to compete with the savvy and technology
of foreign producers while adhering to global standards against child
labour.
The power shortage is, of course, a national issue and
needs to be addressed from the top. With commitment to quality and
proper marketing, it should be possible for Sialkot to recapture its
share in the global sports market. In the meantime, we should celebrate
the contribution Pakistan will make to global sporting competition this
summer.
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