Adidas has officially announced the ball that will be used at the 2022 World Cup. Al Rihla is the name of the new ball, which is reported to be the fastest on the planet when in the air.Al Rihla is the 14th official World Cup ball to be designed specifically for the tournament. Al Rihla means 'travel' in Arabic.
Apart from having the quickest ball in past World Cup editions, Adidas also stated that Al Rihla had the finest accuracy. The advantages of this ball were further explained by Franziska Loeffelmann, director of Football Graphics and Hardwear at Adidas.
"Football becomes faster, and faster, accuracy and stability of the ball in the air become very important. Al Rihla's design allows the ball to maintain stability while in the air," she said.
The Al Rihla's core was created to "increase accuracy and consistency" and to allow for quick play while preserving form. A total of 20 ball panels are incorporated to aid in the improvement of aerodynamics, allowing players to improve their shot accuracy and swerve.
The Al Rihla is the first World Cup model created entirely of water-based ink and glue, and its release signals the start of Adidas' global tour to help "improve access and equity" for the local football community.
Interesting fact! This ball is made in Indonesia. Madiun Regency, in collaboration with PT Global Way Indonesia, created the official World Cup 2022 ball (GWI). Adidas committed the production of the official World Cup ball to a factory in Pilangkenceng District, Madiun Regency, which is located on Jalan Raya Pilangkenceng.
The match balls that will be used in the FIFA World Cup later this year have begun to be sent from Madiun, East Java.
East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa officiated the export of 50,000 match balls manufactured by PT Global Way in Kedungrejo village, Pilangkenceng subdistrict, Madiun Regency, to the United Kingdom and other nations, which will purportedly be used in World Cup matches in 2022.
“It turns out that balls that will be used in FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar are from Indonesia, and now, they are bound for the UK. We’re proud that the matches will be supported with balls from Madiun, East Java,” Parawansa said on Thursday, June 16, as reported by Antara.
PT Global Way's general manager, Jeftha Sunardi Wibowo, said the manufacturing company is collaborating with a global sports brand, and PT Global Way was entrusted with making one million match balls for this year's football event.
“Our production is 100 percent for export. And for production, we have two locations which are Indonesia and China, but the biggest one is in Madiun at 60 to 70 percent [from total production],” Wibowo explained.The official ball will be available for purchase only through adidas.com and the company's retail outlets starting March 30. One percent of all Al Rihla sales will be given to the Common Goal initiative.
Source: Bola.net, TheIndonesia.id
