Bangkok: A Thai factory has been drafted in to produce the special stitchless football for the upcoming World Cup, officials said on Friday.
Japanese ball maker Molten was working at full capacity to produce the "Teamgeist" (Team Spirit) official ball for the 64-match tournament which kicks off in Germany in June, factory director Masami Sakamoto said.
Molten, a joint venture with Thailand's biggest consumer product conglomerate, Saha Group, had already shipped balls to Germany, he said, but declined to give figures.
The factory -- the company's biggest with annual output of 5 million footballs, basketballs and volleyballs -- employed 1,000 workers in Thailand, he said.
"Our workers are very excited because our balls will be used for the World Cup," he said.
Adidas unveiled the official match ball in December saying it was the most technologically advanced football ever produced, allowing players greater accuracy and control.
Produced with "thermal bonding" technology that took three years to develop, the ball was extensively tested at Adidas laboratories and at Loughborough University in Britain.
"With the new technology, the balls last longer and remain round-shaped longer," said Rojanasit Meenijacin, communication manager at Adidas, Thailand.
"When we kick the balls, they give more power," he said, adding the ball used 14 cover panels compared with 32 in normal footballs.
The World Cup begins on June 9 with the final on July 9.
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