Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday, SCCI President Dr Nouman Idrees Butt said that Sialkot's export-oriented soccer ball industry had been supporting more than 100,000 stitchers and other industrial workers.
Now this industry was facing the global challenge of machinated soccer balls production instead of production of hand stitched soccer balls under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime.
He said that during the past few years, China, Vietnam and Thailand came up with machine-sewn and machinated soccer balls. He said that this improved version of machinated soccer balls was first chosen for Euro Cup 2004 and the same would be used in the 2006 World Cup, which was a serious threat to the hand-stitched soccer balls production of Pakistan, especially in Sialkot.
The SCCI president said that the SCCI, PSGMEA and the individual hand-stitched soccer ball manufacturers and exporters had jointly worked on the project to safeguard the Sialkot's soccer ball industry from such threats, he added.
He said that the sports goods manufacturers were invited to join the Sports Industry Development Trust and so far 33 companies had agreed to join this project and pledged contribute Rs 100,000 each to the trust.
Dr Nouman was optimistic about the success of this project, which by every means was direly needed and would help the industry not only to keep the hold, but also would increase its exports in global soccer ball market.