SIDC Providing Technical Skills To Sports Goods Industry

SIALKOT, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Apr, 2019 ) ::Sports Industries Development Centre (SIDC) is successfully functioning and catering the needs of local business community engaged with sports goods industry of Sialkot.

The SIDC is a project of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) which was established under the special directives of Federal government at a cost of Rs.436 million for assisting and bringing sports goods industry out of crisis.

Sports industry of Sialkot is known around the globe for its specialized world-class sports goods production especially footballs.

The city alone is catering more than 70 percent demands of hand-stitched inflatable balls and produce 40 million balls annually.

Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) has saved the football industry of Sialkot from losing its share in the international market by setting up Sports Industries Development Centre (SIDC).

Sialkot is catering around 70 percent of the total world demand of hand stitched inflatable balls which means 40 million balls annually by providing direct employment facility to 60,000 individuals.

Sports goods sector coupled with multiple challenges was facing the major threat in the form of Mechanized inflatable ball which use medium and technology to produce a ball having most of the characteristic of hand stitched ball.

The objective of SIDC is to facilitate in sustaining Pakistan's position in international market of inflatable balls in general and soccer ball in particular, develop proto-type balls for the industry, training of skilled workers for industries in mold, rubber technologies and mechanized balls, provision of manufacturing facilities for SMEs to secure their export order for mechanized inflatable balls, developing quality vulcanization and pasting molds and help develop imported machinery locally through reverse engineering.

The SIDC was providing service to SMEs like technical know how and reverse engineering of thermo laminated machinery, prototype development sample and manufacturing for all sizes bladders, basket balls and thermo laminated balls of all sizes, mold making services, laboratory facility for testing of raw material and all kind of balls as per FIFA standards and manufacturing of mechanized inflatable soccer balls, basket balls and volley ball.

The SIDC was equipped with latest machines for manufacturing of bladders, basket ball, volley ball and thermo laminated ball and providing services to the local industry successfully.

As many as 450,000 bladders, 55,000 thermo balls, 25,000 basket balls for international brands through local industry while develop samples of American ball were manufactured in SIDC.

Sialkot is known internationally as producer of standard quality products in sports, surgical instruments, leather garments, gloves and accessories, sportswear and musical instruments.

About 400,000 people are engaged directly or indirectly with the export activities and city is earning US 2,000 million dollars. Sports goods sector is the main export sector of the city with total exports of US 230 million Dollars per annum.

Sialkot is catering 70 percent of total world demand of hand stitched inflatable ball which means 40 million balls annually worth US 184 million dollars and these balls are produced by workforce of nearly 60,000 and exported to world markets.