Bala Sport is a social enterprise co-operative set up to provide an alternative ethical choice in high quality sports balls and ensure a fairer deal for developing country workers who make these products.

We offer a range of high quality footballs and futsal balls in various sizes from training to match ball level, most of which are hand-stitched in the city of Sialkot in Pakistan. Our rugby balls are hand-stitched in India. 

Our balls are popular amongst schools and grassroots clubs and we’re particularly keen to have an increasing number of women’s teams playing fair with our Fairtrade balls. 

Our Team and Astro balls are made and tested to the same specification as FIFA Quality balls, and our Pro and Elite match balls to the same standards as FIFA Quality Pro. The Bala Sport futsal balls were developed by futsal players for futsal players in consultation with the Scottish Futsal League, and are the official match balls of the SFL. They are also proving very popular throughout the rest of the UK.

Putting workers first
As well as ensuring fair rates of pay, safe working conditions and access to union representation we pay the men and women who make our balls a Fairtrade Premium. For every ball we purchase we pay an extra 10% to the workers who democratically decide which social development projects to invest this cash fund in. So far these have included free eye and diabetes checks for all workers and subsidised glasses, free school books and backpacks for workers children and free safe transport to and from work for those in rural areas. Most significantly though the Fairtrade premium has part funded water purification plants. These are built outside the factory gates so that anyone in the area can have access to free, safe drinking water, not just the workers. We visit our workers in India and Pakistan as often as we can to make sure they’re OK.

Testimonials
“We have made significant use of the Bala Sport Fairtrade rugby balls and have found them hardwearing, good quality, competitively priced and ideal to handle for our participants. We also welcome the Fairtrade element as the message we are trying to instil in our participants includes respect for others and their environment. We would be happy to recommend the balls to any similar project or activity group.” Greg Cann, Pitstops Project, Glasgow

Read more testimonials

Check out how you can be a game changer