Which city is the world's leading manufacturer of hand-stitched footballs?

Sialkot, in Punjab province, Pakistan, is the world's leading centre for making hand-stitched footballs. It produces a large share (often estimated at 60-70 per cent) of the world's hand-stitched footballs.

About Sialkot's football industry:

The industry began in the late 19th century under British rule, when craftsmen in Sialkot started making leather sports goods for British soldiers.

Footballs made in Sialkot have been used in the FIFA World Cup several times. For example, the "Brazuca" ball used in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was made by a company in Sialkot (for Adidas), and Sialkot also supplied balls for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

A traditional hand-stitched football has 32 panels (20 hexagons and 12 pentagons) and is stitched with about 650-700 stitches, taking about three hours.

In the 1990s, the industry faced international criticism for using child labour. The "Atlanta Agreement" (1997), signed by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce, the ILO and UNICEF, led to a programme to remove child labour from football stitching.

Machine-stitched and thermo-bonded balls are now also made, but hand-stitching remains a speciality.

Other industries of Sialkot:

• Surgical instruments: Sialkot is one of the world's largest exporters of surgical instruments.
• Leather goods, sportswear, gloves and musical instruments (such as bagpipes).
• Sialkot International Airport (2007) was built by the local business community, the first privately funded public airport in Pakistan.

Sports goods centres in India:

Jalandhar (Punjab): the largest sports goods manufacturing centre in India; known for footballs, hockey sticks, cricket gear and sports equipment. Many manufacturers moved there from Sialkot after Partition.

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh): known for cricket bats, balls and athletics equipment; it is called the "Sports City of India" by some.

Kashmir: famous for cricket bats made from Kashmir willow.

About the FIFA World Cup:

• It was first held in 1930 in Uruguay.
• The 2022 World Cup was held in Qatar, the first in the Arab world; Argentina won.
• The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, was the first with 48 teams.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Jalandhar is India's largest sports goods centre, but not the world's largest maker of hand-stitched footballs.
• ✗Meerut is known for cricket bats and athletics equipment.
• ✗Lahore is a major city of Pakistan, but the football industry is centred in Sialkot.