Soccer or football is the most popular sport in
the world. And for many, this means great economic opportunity. At one time,
Pakistan’s export city of Sialkot was catering to 85 per cent of the total
world demand for high-quality hand-stitched inflatable balls.
A workforce of 85,000 was employed to produce 60
million balls per year worth $210 million. In Fifa World Cup years the demand
for stitched balls rises by 70 per cent. Consecutive governments however,
ignored this industry and failed to plan ahead to tackle the growing
competition from China, India and Japan.