SIALKOT, Jan 3: The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association have decided to establish a sports industry development trust to cope with the threat of mechanized balls, facing local hand-stitched soccer ball manufacturers and exporters.

Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday, SCCI president Dr Nauman Idrees and other office-bearers said the soccer industry had been supporting more than 100,000 stitchers and other industrial workers. Now the industry was facing the global challenge of mechanized soccer production instead of hand-stitched balls under the WTO regime.

They said during the past few years, China, Vietnam and Thailand came up with machine-sown and mechanized soccer balls. This improved version of the mechanized soccer was first chosen for the Europe Cup 2004, and the same would be used in the World Cup 2006, which was a serious threat to hand-stitched balls production.

They said the SCCI, the PSGMEA and hand-stitched balls manufacturers and exporters had jointly worked on the project to safeguard the soccer industry from such threats.

They said the sports goods manufacturers were invited to join the sports industry development trust, and so far 33 companies had pledged to join it.

The chamber office-bearers were optimistic about the success of this project which would help the industry increase its exports. The sole aim was to revolutionize the sports industry by generating more job opportunities and bring in a manifold increase in exports, they said.

They said the proposed trust would have a research and development section for developing and introducing other non-traditional sports goods and accessories. The SCCI was committed to providing full support to the project.