The 2010 FIFA World Cup got underway in South Africa on June 11, 2010. This is the 19th time that the tournament has been run. It is the premier soccer tournament and it is safe to say that it now rivals the Summer Olympics in terms of the number of people who will watch the games. Tens of millions of people will watch individual games. There will be moments of ecstasy for supporters when their teams score and moments of gloom when they concede a goal. Soccer pundits will discuss at length the merits of individual teams, players and managers.
There is genuine pride in South Africa that it has successfully organized the games. It is another indicator that it is coming of age as a country and that the confidence which comes from organizing such an event will spill over into other areas of life, not just in South Africa but in other African nations also.
My knowledge of soccer is rudimentary so I am not sure how well the Bafana Bafana the colloquial name for the South African national soccer team. One thing is sure, their supporters will be the loudest of any supporters thanks to a metre long plastic trumpet called vuvuzela. The vuvuzela emits more than 127 decibels which is more than a chainsaw. Hear the World Foundation, a company formed by a Swiss firm Phonak, would like to see the instrument banned at the games because of the impact which long-term exposure could have on the teams and spectators. But there is little chance that will happen. Sepp Blatter, who allegedly laughed at Ireland’s request to be included in the tournament after a hand-ball incident by Thierry Henry led to a questionable goal by France, is supporting the decision to allow the use of the vuvuzela. He is reported as saying that “When you are in Africa, there is another noise, another ambience. We have to adapt a little.”
But while the noise of the vuvuzelas is up-front and in your face, there is a more hidden, darker side to the beautiful game that needs to be spoken about and changed.. The Irish Times journalist, Rob Crilly, discovered this sinister side to soccer and the other games played with boot-balls when he visited the ancient Pakistani city of Sialkot which is situated in the northeastern part of the Punjab. It is estimated that 70% of the world’s production of handstitched footballs are produced in factories in this city under very primitive conditions. It is claimed that the origin of sports goods in the city goes back to the British colonial times when a British officer needed to have his tennis racquet repaired. Within a short period of time racquets, cricket bats made from English willow and other sports goods were being produced in Sialkot. In 1922, a local manufacturer was awarded the British Empire Export Award for supplying footballs to the British Army. Over the years the industry has grown and has produced sports goods for international companies such as Adidas, Puma, Nike and Slazenger.
Over the years questions have been raised about the pay and working conditions of those who work in the football producing factories. Bob Crilly discovered that the workers who produce footballs which retail at €100, often receive only $3 per day. One informant told him that “People buying these balls should understand more about how they are made and insist that the workers are looked after and well paid.” One of the reasons why workers can be exploited is that apart from the sports factories there is little work in Sialkot. One of the workers told Crilly that, “if they sack one person then there will be 10 in the queue next day for the job.”
In recent years pressure from international agencies has improved the lot of many of the workers, but much more needs to be done. A report by The International Labour Rights Forum found that half of the 218 workers whom they surveyed did not earn 12,000 or €118 a month. This is the minimum amount of money which a family would require to meet their basic needs. The ‘beautiful game’ needs to address and solve this injustice as a matter of urgency.
– This article was written by Séan McDonagh SCC.
– Buy Fairtrade footballs from Amnesty, Oxfam etc and show that you care about the people who made them 🙂