Pakistan set to recapture football market

[LahoreEstate]

The labour-intensive soccer industry is providing direct and indirect jobs to about 80,000 workers: former chairman PSGMEA. — File Photo Punjab


Work starts on sports goods testing labs SIALKOT: Pakistan is all set to reclaim its soccer ball market from China and India as both are unable to meet the required standards of hand-stitched balls.

‘We have the capacity to export soccer balls worth $100 million before the Football World Cup 2010 if the government helps in exploring markets especially Latin America and Asia Pacific,’ observed Prof Safdar Sandal, former chairman of Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PSGMEA).

He said the labour-intensive soccer industry was providing direct and indirect jobs to about 80,000 workers while sub-contracting on piece rate, which is a common practice, resulting in creation of more jobs.

He however deplored that the vital sports industry had not been getting due attention from the successive governments hampering its growth potential for a long time.

Presently over 3,500 small and medium-sized and 60 well-established units are producing quality sports goods mainly for foreign markets, he said and added that major portion of the total production came from cottage and small-scale manufacturing units.

However, some units have entered into joint ventures with foreign manufacturers, which benefit technical and marketing support to their foreign partners.

He said that appeals to federal and provincial governments for setting up sports goods and surgical instruments cities to boost their exports fell on deaf ears.

He said despite tough competition on international markets from rivals India, China and Japan, the exporters of Sialkot were earning millions of dollars for the national kitty.

‘India has an advantage of cheap labour and raw material, whereas countries with semi-automatic mechanised units can produce low-cost and inexpensive sports gear such as metal rackets and cricket bats etc.,’ he explained.

Prof Safdar said that Sialkot, which has been a hub of cottage industry and famous for producing quality and standard sports goods, had now entered into manufacturing of motorbike apparel and accessories to earn more foreign exchange for the country.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn...et--szh-06