sialkot football industry

How Sialkot got into the business of its now thriving sports industry? No one 
exactly knows, but it is said that during the British rule, a British broke his tennis racquet and, since an immediate replacement was not possible, he asked a local to repair it. The man did a perfect job and the sports goods manufacturing industry took root in Sialkot. Recorded history of the industry goes back to 1895 when the city started becoming famous for its tennis racquets. By 1903, cricket bats were being crafted from imported English willow and exported to different parts of British India and beyond. In 1922, one Mr. Syed was awarded the British Empire Export Award for supplying footballs to the British Army. Over the years the industry grew to include a variety of wood and leather-based sports equipment, and diversified into related industries such as sports apparel and riding equipment and even the Scottish bagpipes.

Besides other sports good, Sialkot makes headlines all over the world for its very high quality footballs. As per an estimate approximately 80-85% high-quality hand-stitched inflatable balls production of the world originates from Sialkot. The local football industry earned $164 million in export earnings in the financial year 2009.

Soccer Industry -Sialkot

Sialkot, Pakistan (CNN) -- Through choking traffic and crude streets, pastoral scenes and fields of wheat, there is a journey to be made in the heart of the Punjab that will take you to the very soul of the beautiful game.

For a country some have come to see as the world's leading exporter of terror, it is a glimpse into all that is possible when you consider that for decades now Pakistan has also been a leading exporter of hand-stitched soccer balls.

This is no cottage industry, in a typical year Pakistan produces almost half of the world's hand-stitched gems. In a World Cup year like this one, as demand explodes, that portion edges up to almost 70 percent.

The craft here has been handed down for generations and now hundreds of stitching halls *** the agricultural landscape of this region.

"A good player will play with this ball, it makes me feel good, it brightens our country's reputation and that makes me feel proud," says one young man as he continues stitching about six to eight balls a day.

That will earn most of these workers anywhere from six to 10 dollars a day, as much as double Pakistan's minimum wage.

Khawaja Masood Akhtar is the owner of the aptly named Forward Sports. For almost two decades he has won big-brand contracts against the odds and is currently a prime supplier for Adidas.

"The ball stitched in Pakistan will definitely be of a higher quality," said Akhtar. He adds that he has great admiration for the stitchers that craft his perfectly rounded balls.

History of Sialkot

The city of Siálkot is believed to have been founded by one Raja Sul or Sálá , the uncle of Pandhavas, whose heroic deeds are recorded in the epic Mahábhárta. After his death some 5000 years ago, there is a tradition that the dynasity continued for some 1500 years and then the country was flooded and remained one vast uninhabited region for about 1000 years. The popular belief is that it was re-founded in the reign of Vikramaditya of Ujjain by Raja Sáliváhan or Sálbán, who built the fort and city and gave the place its present name. He was of Sia caste, and it is believed that the word "Sialkot" means 'the fort of Sia'. Legend also says the Salivahan had two sons; one Puran by name , was killed by the instrumentality of a wicked step-mother, and thrown inot a well, still the resort of pilgrims near Sialkot , called "Puran ka Kunwna", the well of Puran. (A Mohalla in the city is also named "Puran Nagar") Other son of Salivahan , Rasalu, became involved in wars with Raja Hudi, popularly stated to have been a Gakkhar chieftain. Being worsted in battle, Rasalu, as the price for piece, was forced to give his daughter in marriage to his conqueror, who gave the territory he had conquered to Rasalu's adopted son.

sialkot sports instruments

Sialkot is the biggest sports goods manufaturer city in Pakistan. It's football is very much popular all over the world.

Sialkot is a city situated in Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located near Indo-Pak border, about 125 k.m. from Lahore, the capital of Punjab. This city is centries old. According to tradition, it was constructed by Raja Sul. Famous Fort of Sialkot is still there but it is in the shape of a small hill now. 
Old History
Sákala ( now Siálkot city ) was the capital of the Madras who are known in the late Vedic period ( Brihadáranyaka Upanishad ). Sákaladvipa , or the 'island of Sákala' was the name of the doáb, or the land lying between the two rivers, between Chandrabhága (Chenab) and Irávati (Ravi). Sákala was the capital ,or one of the capitals, of the Greek kings of the House of Euthydemus, and the residence of Menander (Milinda). After the invasion of the Húnas (Huns) in the last quarte of the fifth century A.D. it became the capital of Toramána and his son Mihirakula. The antiquities of Sialkot are discussed by Sir Alexander Cunnigham in his Archaeological Survey Reports, II, 21, 22, and XIV, 44 to 47. It's early history is closely interwoven with traditions of the Raja Sáliváhan, his son Raja Rasálu and his foe, Raja Húdi, so famous in Punjab folk-lore