Jalandhar footballs for World Cup soccer in Germany

Chandigarh, May 7 (UNI) The footballs manufactured at Jalandhar will 'represent' India in the World Cup soccer beginging in Germany next month.

Jalandhar, known as the sports town of the country is currently rolling out 40,000 to 50,000 footballs a day for World Cup promotion in Germany and other European nations. A number of sports goods manufacturers have bagged orders worth Rs 120 crore for exporting footballs.

''The orders received are much more than the normal exports of Rs 50 crore a year from Jalandhar'', Mr Ragunath Rana, chairman of the Sports Goods Manufacturers told UNI today.

''We have been forced to extend the manufacturing season from five months to seven months'', Mr Rana said. The industrial units which were used to manufacture about 10,000 footballs a day are employing additional hands to meet the export demand.

A majority of the orders have been placed by Multi National Companys (MNCs) sponsoring the World Cup.The footballs will be used both for promotional purpose as well as for training by the teams competing in the World Cup.

Mr Rana said manufacturers are very particular about the quality and looks of each football that is to be exported. These footballs are superior in quality than the ones used in the country and more attractive looking, he added.

The World Cup footballs are more durable and each football costs about two dollars.

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