Football exports witness 62.22pc increase: PBS

ISLAMABAD: Football exports during the first four months of fiscal year 2022-23 increased by 62.22 percent as compared to the exports of the commodity during the corresponding period of last year.

According to the data issued by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), during the period from July 22-Oct 22, footballs worth US$ 81,351,000 were exported as compared to the exports of US $ 50,148,000, during the same period of last year.

The exports of Sports goods increased by 32.31 percent, worth US$ 139,185,000 as compared to exports of US$ 105,199,000 during the same period, last year.

Meanwhile, other exports also increased by 8.54 percent as the exports recorded during the current fiscal year were US$ 33,102,000 as compared to the exports during the same period of last year which were US$ 30,499,000.

During the period under review, gloves exports increased by 0.73 percent, worth US$ 24,731,000 in current fiscal year, as compared to the exports of US$ 24,552,000 during the same period of last year.

It is pertinent to mention here that the FIFA World Cup will kick off in Qatar, later in the day, in a high-stakes event for the tiny nation which has faced a barrage of criticism and staked its reputation on delivering a smooth tournament, the first held in the Middle East.

The opening ceremony in a tent-shaped stadium will be held at 1440 GMT, ahead of the first match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. Few details were available on heads of state attending, but state media said the U.N. secretary-general and Algeria’s president arrived on Saturday.

Onstage, the South Korean singer Jungkook, of K-pop boy band BTS will perform a new official tournament song called Dreamers alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi, FIFA said in a statement early Sunday.

The smallest nation to hold soccer’s biggest global event, Qatar, a wealthy gas producer, aims to bolster its credentials as a global player and display strength to rivals in the region .

Crowd control will be key with some 1.2 million visitors expected to visit, more than a third of Qatar’s population, a majority of whom are foreign workers.