Pakistan may be more known for its love of cricket, but the country plays a significant role in this year’s World Cup by producing the soccer balls used in Qatar and the replicas sold to fans worldwide. Thus, Pakistan produced the Fifa World Cup ball is the news of the day!
Pakistan produced the Fifa World Cup ball?
Located in Sialkot, northeastern Pakistan, Forward Sports is an international sports equipment firm that has collaborated with Adidas AG for nearly two decades. This company is one of two that make the Adidas Al Rihla the official World Cup ball.
The director of Forward Sports, Hassan Masood Khawaja, recently revealed that the company had produced 5.5 million Al Rihla balls. It included 60,000 high-quality duplicates of the balls used in matches. Albeit without the real-time technology helping referees with offside and line calls.
The teams utilize them during training sessions in Qatar; the rest are sold as luxury merchandise to football fans worldwide. China is the manufacturer of match balls. Adidas does not want to reveal who made the product. The contract is a great accomplishment for the organization.
“More than business, it is a matter of prestige and honour for us to make the World Cup ball,” Khawaja said.
“How do we do it? It s the skill of the people … and our love for the sport,” he said.
While soccer is popular among fans, the national side is ranked 194 out of 211 countries by FIFA. Cricket reigns supreme.
