Federal government is actively considering establishing "Product Development Centre" (PDC) for Composite Based Sports Goods in Sialkot costing Rs 373.466 million and work on this proposed project would be undertaken in near future.
Official sources on Wednesday told Business Recorder that the concept of setting up PDC was to enabling sports goods industry to cope with the emerging technology of Composite Material and enter into the largest segment of Sports Goods export as more than 55 percent of the sports goods were based on composite based.
Sialkot is known globally as a major player of producing of quality products of sports goods and sportswear etc and local craftsmen produce immaculate products, while export oriented entrepreneurs ensure that products reach international destinations. Over 200,000 workers were engaged directly or indirectly with export activities, while this export-oriented city was earning more than US One billion dollars through its exports.
In sports goods industry where new materials have supplanted the old, include tennis, archery, skiing, boating, golf and fishing. The composites have replaced previous material and eventually declined in price to widely. The wood was only material for manufacturing of Tennis racket had now been totally outclassed by new high performance materials. Tubular steel and aluminium rackets came into vogue in early 1970. They were lighter than wood, were unaffected by the weather and offered more potential power in the swing. With the passage of time composite rackets were introduced in late seventies and changed everything and within six years composite rackets become available at all but the lowest price and wood made rackets virtually disappeared.
The proposed PDC will help and enable local industry to enter into the international market of composite based sports goods. The sports industry sector of Sialkot was already enjoying strong linkages with the international sports goods brands, which would help in marketing of these products.
The PDC will provide technical know-how, trained labour force, test facilities and prototype development services to the sports industry. Service like facilitate in increasing exports of composite based sports goods, prototype production, provide skilled workforce to the industry, product testing, help develop imported machinery locally and enhance productivity by providing technical consultancy service to new and existing industrial units. The regular functioning of PDC in this export-hub will enable the businessmen and manufactures to produce Composite Material based sports goods and to cope with new challenges of the international market sources added.