Kicker Sports

Kicking it high
Read on to find out how Kicker manages to keep its balls rolling with distinct product features

When watching a ball game, one would usually pay the most attention to the players and the game rather than the ball players are fighting over. However, a ball's durability and strength do have a certain degree of influence on the game's quality. Kicker Sports, a sports goods manufacturer and exporter from Pakistan, understands this theory better than anyone else, and has been striving to put on a "good game" for every customer it serves.

Established in 1987, the legend of Kicker Sports began as a family business. The company, based in Pakistan, has been manufacturing a wide range of sporting goods with a special focus on balls produced primarily for schools and sports organisations. Other than its renowned balls for every sport game imaginable, Kicker also manufacturers a wide range of sport-related products, including gloves, textile, housery, shinguards, as well as products of exclusive use for boxing and martial arts.

In order to meet expectations and demands from so many loyal customers, Kicker has managed to charm over the years and a solid, effective operation system is definitely a must. How does Kicker do it? "Our factory has an advanced and computerised system and a responsible management monitoring every step of the production process from start to finish, which is why we are able to produce as many as 3,000 balls a day," explained Mr Jahangir Iqbal, Director of Kicker Sports.

Manufacturing 5, 000 balls, 100 sports-wears and 1, 000 gloves per day means that Kicker Sports is more than just a versatile manufacturer �C it is also a volume manufacturer which is eager to serve clients from all over the world, in particular the department stores and various trade associations from Europe, South America, and Middle East. Apart from being an ISO 9002 certified company, Kicker Sports is also registered with IMAC (Independent Monitoring Association for Child Labor). "Registering with such a reputed association certainly reflects Kicker Sports' dedication to being a humane manufacturer that values labor rights as much as the quality of its products" said Mr Iqbal with a proud smile.

Having been in the ball manufacturing business for so long, Mr Iqbal surely realises that it takes more than professional service and quality products to stand out from the crowd. "Kicker's balls provide the ultimate quality and performance, as they provide guaranteed satisfaction with more features than its competitors" said Mr Iqbal, stressing the difference between his company and his peers:

Covers

All covers of the balls are made from the finest materials available. They are designed to be highly durable and to remain soft even in the toughest weather conditions.

Hand-sewn quality

Kicker is renowned for its hand-sewn quality. Each panel is hand-sewn to provide more structural strength, which helps minimise distortion while maximising directional control at the same time.

Latex bladder

Kicker engineers "Panel Uniformity" into the balls to provide maximum homogeneity. The panels are engineered to identical thickness and weight so that no panel stretches or looses shape.

Colors

As a dynamic manufacturer full of creativity and innovative ideas, Kicker strives to provide its customers as many options as possible in terms of product selection. The company manufactures products of a variety of colors to suit every customer's individual tastes. From pure white to yellow to orange, the choice is endless.

Laminated construction

With the unique laminated construction used at Kicker, it manages to create a thicker, softer cover which delivers the texture and performance needed on the game field in order to keep it in perfect shape and to withstand adverse playing conditions.

Double knot system

This system allows the players to pass the ball easily through every angle during the game, as its speed remains the same after the kick-off. The ball's stitching is completely coated with a latest transparent chemical to make the ball 100% waterproof. The system also helps keep the roundness of the balls, making them more durable. Meanwhile, on the inner side of the panels, Kicker uses an advanced technology rubber padding to increase the flexibility of the balls. In addition to that, Kicker also uses special chemicals such as impranil, desmodrum, as well as imprafix in synthetic leather in order to further improve the quality of the balls in response to the international market demand

Air jet system

A specially developed polyurethane synthetic leather, this material is made of unique chemicals to keep it in shape, and the inner part of the synthetic leather provides maximum flexibility to the balls. Due to this system of layers, balls can bear much pressure from the inflated bladder from within, and such technology has yet been used by any other competitors in the field.

"Other than the unique features mentioned above, I would like to once again emphasise the fact that here at Kicker, quality is the one thing we will never compromise. Also, innovative and up-to-date product ideas are also some of the many factors contributing to Kicker's success. Our company also takes pride in its courage and bravery to be a trend-setter in the world of sporting goods manufacturing," he continued. "A marketing strategy we have been adopting since day one is that we do the very best we can to retain our long-term customers with our high quality products, while constantly finding ways to develop new markets around the globe" said Mr Iqbal in an ambitious tone.

In years to come, Kicker is planning to establish two more factories equipped with well-developed technology, as well as a state-of-the-art building adopting international quality standards. "All the effort made will be well-paid off, as they are helping us to stay on top as one of the major sports goods manufacturers in the world, as we would like to be recognized as such," Mr Iqbal concluded.

With a never-ending drive to excellence by coming up with dynamic product lines at the most affordable prices, Kicker Sports is certainly on its way up to the top with its ball kicking high and far.