This month, the whole world gathers as one to watch the gods of soccer show their masterful techniques and display their skills to us mere mortals in the "beautiful game" during the Fifa World Cup in Brazil.
And one of the unsung hero nations during these games is a country that isn't even one of the 32 competing in the tournament. It's Pakistan, believe it or not. A country better known for being on the cricket pitch than the soccer field, Pakistan plays a starring role in Brazil, and it has everything to do with the official ball of the World Cup, the Brazuca.
The ball that's being used by the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, and by millions of children in every corner of this planet, was almost exclusively made in one small factory in north-eastern Pakistan. And almost exclusively by women.This small factory called Forward Sports in Sialkot, Pakistan, close to the Indian border, managed to score the biggest soccer ball-making contract in the world. The factory and the town have now made a name for themselves making world-class soccer balls as well as cricket bats.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/digital/new-members