Sialkot has acquired a place in the international trade of sports goods. Currently, it supplies sports goods to almost every part of the world. The products include soccer balls, volleyballs, rugby balls, beach balls, exercise balls, cricket balls, hockey balls, baseball balls, tennis balls, shuttlecocks, nets, gloves, hockey sticks, cricket bats, baseball bats, protective guards, pads, sportswear, etc.
The Small and Medium Enterprises Growth Authority (SMEDA) now plans to arrange a Product Growth Centre (PDC) to keep tabs on the modern production line of the local sports industries.
On Sunday, within the premises of The Sports Industry Development Centre (SIDC), SMEDA proposed a PDC project, costing Rs 498 million, quoted the officials.
The step will enable the sports goods industry to adopt new manufacturing technologies including composite material and enter into the largest segment of sports goods exports as presently 55% of the sports goods are based on composite materials, sources said.
The purpose of this proposal by SMEDA is to encourage services like product testing (physical and chemical), providing skilled workforce to the sector, enhancing productivity through technical support services to new and existing industrial units, help in the development of imported machinery locally through reverse engineering and facilitation in increasing exports of composite-based sports goods.
By using new technologies, the local industry would be prepared to enter the international market of composite-based sports goods.
