Adnan Lodhi
The first record of manufacturing of sports goods in Sialkot can be traced back to 1883 when a factory was built to produce sports good for the British Army soldiers stationed in the northern Sub- continent. The products manufactured were wooden, such as cricket bats, hockey sticks, polo stick, etc.
In 1918, British Army soldier brought a football for repairs at factory, where a Muslim artisan known as Syed Sahib was assigned the task. Syed Sahib not only re – stitched the football to the full satisfaction of Army personnel but also “reverse engineered “it in his own small manufacturing unit. British soldiers were astonished to play with the local version and they praised Syed Sahib for his skills.
Subsequently, Syed Sahib started catering to the needs of local troops. In 1922, Syed Sahib was awarded the first Export Award from the British Empire for his outstanding venture to supply footballs to the British Army camped in Singapore. The sports goods sector bravely passed through the turmoil at the time of independence in 1947 when most Hindu factory owners migrated to India. The craftsmen, who were mostly Muslims, took over and greatly expanded the business.
The basic of sports industry of Sialkot was laid in 1893 during the British era. It prospered and cricket bats were supplied to different parts of Asia in early 1900’s. This local industry proved its mettle by winning the British Empire sports award.
The soccer balls manufactured in Salkot came in the lime light when the “Tango Ball “from Sialkot was used in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. This opportunity opened doors for international sports industry in Pakistan. Pakistan earned the prestigious award of being the official soccer balls supplier to FIFA World Cup in the years 1994 and 1998. Now, almost all the big giants of sports industry, including Adidas, Nike, Puma, Select, Lotto, employ the services of the manufactures of Pakistani sports goods, further enhancing the credibility of this area as potential exporter of sports goods. The sports goods include: soccer balls, volley balls, rugby balls, beach balls, exercise balls cricket balls, hockey balls, baseball balls, tennis balls, shuttle cocks, nets, gloves, hockey sticks, cricket bats, baseball bats, protective guards, pas, sportswear, gloves and other accessories.
Today,the sports goods sector of Sialkot is at its zenith. It has acquired an important place in the international trade of sports goods. Currently, it is supplying products to almost every country of the world, directly or indirectly. The products are mostly made for international markets and have received worldwide recognition because of the care that goes into the selection of raw material, design, manufacturing and shipping.
Adidas, Nike, Micassa, Puma, Mitre, Select, Umbro, Lotto, Diadora, Decathlon, , Wilsons, etc, are some of the world-renowned brands sourcing a large portion of their suppliers of sports goods from Sialkot, further enhancing the credibility of the city as an internationally acknowledged quality manufacturing and exporting centre.
The entrepreneurial spirit of the city has been further strengthened and cemented by the second and third generations of entrepreneurs. More than 200,000 people are directly employed in the sector exporting goods worth US $ 450 million annually from around 2,400 companies of various sizes.
Large manufacture – cum exporters are suppliers of internationally known brands, whereas medium- sized manufactures – cum exporters cater to mid and lower segments of the market. Commercial exporters usually rely on successful designs of large/ medium firms and try to sell low- priced versions to small importers who primarily deal in low- end- markets. In some instances, it has been observed that small manufactures – cum – exporters and commercial exporters are supplying high quality customized products to the 1st and 2nd division football clubs.
Type of Products
Soccer & Cricket Balls
Sialkot caters to around 70% of total world demand for hand- stitched inflatable soccer balls (footballs) which translates into around 40 million balls annually worth US $ 210 million. During the peak session, which repeats after 4 years on the occasion of FIFA World Cup, the production of inflatable balls exceeds 60 million per annum. These balls are produced by a workforce of around 60,000. More than 1,000 entrepreneurs are engaged in different parts of the value chain, the majority of which fall into the MSME (micro, Small, medium sized enterprises) category. In addition Pakistan produces world class cricket balls.
Hockey sticks & Cricket Bats:
At the moment half a dozen companies are engaged in the manufacture and export of composite- based field hockey sticks. Sialkot used to be a major supplier of wooden (mulberry) hockey sticks (including field, ice and roller hockey) in the world, but as the technology shifted towards composites, the local industry is shifting its focus to embrace it to capture a very lucrative market. Cricket bats manufacturer of Pakistan make world-wide famous brands such as; CA Cricket Bats, Ihsan Sports (Ihsan Cricket Bats), Boom Boom Cricket Bats, MB Cricket Bats, Slazenger Cricket Bats, Gunn and Moore (GM) Cricket Bats, Grade 1++ Cricket Bats, 12000 TD Cricket Bats, Kookaburra Cricket Bats, Gray-Nicolls Cricket Bats, Mongoose Cricket Bats.
Gloves:
The sector also has a very strong international presence in the market for gloves in general, and sports gloves in particular. Before China’s massive entry into international trade a few years ago, Pakistan was the world’s largest exporter of gloves. The sector is famous for producing both high – and low- end natural and artificial leather sports and non- sports gloves. The former category includes: gloves for motor bikes. goalkeepers, baseball, boxing, shooting etc. These gloves are usually exported as part of a ‘combo’ package with other products, such as sportswear, inflatable balls etc.
Sportswear:
The sports wear business developed as an offshoot of the sports goods sector. At the outset, international buyers used to buy inflatable balls from Sialkot and sportswear from South Korea, Taiwan, the USA, Germany, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and elsewhere. As the apparel industry diminished or in some cases totally disappeared from some countries, buyers who were already satisfied with the quality of sports goods from Sialkot, asked the local exporters to produce sports wears as well. This helped international buyers to reduce their sourcing overheads.
A skilled stitching force, import fabric and accessories, high profit margins, entrepreneurial skills of businessman and responsive government policies all resulted in the sports sector’s successful entry into the international sportswear market within a very short span of time. Today, a skilled workforce of more than 10,000- strong is directly engaged in this production and the numbers are growing rapidly. Articles exported include: track suits, football, boxing, cycling, motto sports uniform, shorts, T- shirts, wind breakers, judo/ karate kits, casual wear, stockings etc.
Around 97% of sports goods production is exported.
The main destinations are the US, Germany, the United Kingdom and Netherland. Special sports gloves are the third important export product.
The sports industry is pivotal for Pakistan’s economic development and the country needs to safeguard its national interests with planning and implementation of strategies. Pakistan is a developing country with a vision to transform itself into an industrialized country. Very few developing countries have a high tech industry with a blend of local and international market as Pakistan sports industry does.
