Footballs from Pakistan
Goooooooal! The ball lands in the top left corner of the net. Tens of thousands of fans in the stadium throw up their arms and cheer. They all know the player who scored. But no one knows anything about the ball shot into the net. And who would have thought that the ball comes from Pakistan?
Sialkot is a small and old industrial city in north-eastern Pakistan close to the border with India. The city of 650,000 has become famous across the world for its connection with football (AKA soccer). Up to 50 million balls are produced here every year – including in Khawaja Masood Akhtar’s factory.
Akhtar actually studied to become a civil engineer, and he wasn’t really interested in football back then. But, to his big surprise, the ball eventually turned out to be the defining theme of his professional life. His first job was in his uncle’s factory. At that time, footballs were still made with cowhide. “I learned a lot back then – and quickly,” Akhtar says. “As a material, cowhide is really hard to make footballs with because the processes for tanning and stretching the leather to make high-quality balls take an incredible amount of time and effort.” The breakthrough came in 1990. “You’ve learned enough,” Akhtar’s uncle told him. “Now go set up your own factory.” And that’s exactly what he did.
The entire process for making footballs changed in the 1990s, when different types of artificial leather gradually replaced cowhide. “Only very special one-of-a-kind items are still made from cowhide these days,” Akhtar explains. “Synthetic leather is much easier to work with.”
Today’s footballs are a high-tech product. Akhtar’s factory will produce about 15 million footballs in 2022 – the year when the FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Qatar. A highly professional R&D department is constantly trying to find ways to improve the balls. In the test lab, balls are placed under constant stress: While one machine shoots a ball against a wall at great speed every 10 seconds, another machine squeezes a ball with massive pressure from all sides. And you can also see footballs that are being permanently exposed to water. Unbeatable quality is the trump card. So it’s no wonder that a global company like Adidas relies on Akhtar’s products. The German athletic shoe and apparel giant alone orders millions of balls from this factory every year.
Video: In the test lab, balls are placed under constant stress
Akhtar’s production processes are focused on sustainability. “We don’t do it because a client asks us to,” he says. “Instead, we firmly believe that it is good all around – for our factory workers, for our customers and, ultimately, for the environment as a whole.” For example, a dedicated team is working on sustainability-related projects, such as ones to save massive amounts of water in the production process, to recycle materials, and to reduce significantly – or possibly even completely – the use of solvents.
But, for Akhtar and his staff, sustainability isn’t just about acting responsibly towards society and the environment. Instead, it is something they have deeply internalised. “Our staff has grown to 6,000 people,” Akhtar explains. “In recent years, we have fought hard to be allowed to hire more women. And why? Because we believe in gender equality, even though Pakistan’s male-dominated culture still thinks and acts in a very patriarchal way.” Although women are officially banned from working in factories in Pakistan, Akhtar has prevailed in his efforts to employ more women – and broken through a domain that has been “men-only” for decades. “We have created a very respectful and discrimination-free environment for the women in our factories,” Akhtar notes. For example, dozens of buses pick the women up at their homes and then take them back home after work. What’s more, food is offered at work, and employees are allowed to bring one member of their family along to the workplace.
Premium Product: Employees sew the individual parts together by hand
Akhtar has grown to love football – and especially when his balls are being used on the pitch. “It’s very emotional for me to watch an exciting World Cup match being played with one of our balls,” he admits. “But it is naturally also a huge responsibility. After all, we want the players to enjoy and be passionate about playing with our balls. A ball can actually be the decisive factor in a game.” Even after almost 40 years, Akhtar says that he still feels strong emotions when holding a brand-new World Cup ball in his hands.
His factory has designed a special-edition ball for 2022: a premium football bearing Hapag-Lloyd’s logo. “We are very proud to have designed a special-edition ball to mark Hapag-Lloyd’s 175th anniversary – and we wish the company a heart-felt ‘happy birthday’. Without you, we wouldn’t be present across the entire world. Thank you for all these years of successful collaboration,” Akhtar says when bidding farewell to his guests.
As we say our goodbyes, we can’t help but ask two final questions: “What is your favourite football club? And who is your favourite player from recent decades?” Akhtar furrows his brow and pauses to think for a moment before answering with a mischievous grin: “For me, football is synonymous with Germany’s Bundesliga – and especially with Bayern Munich. And, for me, Franz Beckenbauer is and will always be the best and most talented player in the world.”
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