Draft:Khawaja Masood Akhtar
Chief executive of Forward Sports
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Khawaja Masood Akhtar is a Pakistani sports-goods executive who serves as chief executive of Forward Sports, a Sialkot-based manufacturer of footballs and other sporting goods. He gained international coverage in 2014 after Forward Sports produced the Brazuca for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and later supplied Adidas footballs associated with FIFA World Cup tournament supply chains.[1][2][3]
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Khawaja Masood Akhtar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Occupation | Sports-goods executive |
| Known for | Chief executive of Forward Sports |
| Awards | Sitara-i-Imtiaz Hilal-i-Imtiaz |
Akhtar was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2019 and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2023.[4][5]
Career
Akhtar worked in football manufacturing before becoming chief executive of Forward Sports, a family-owned sports-goods business based in Sialkot.[1] A leadership profile published by Veer Sports states that he began his career at a ball manufacturing company in 1980 and had an engineering background. The same profile lists him as the chief executive of both Veer Sports and Forward Sports.[6]
Before receiving its first FIFA World Cup contract, Forward Sports had manufactured footballs for competitions including the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League.[1][2] The company drew international attention in 2014 after producing the Adidas Brazuca for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The ball was manufactured in Pakistan and China for Adidas, with Forward Sports acting as one of Adidas's official manufacturers in Pakistan.[2]
The Brazuca contract followed a production shortfall by Adidas's Chinese supplier, after which Akhtar invited Adidas executives to the company's factory in Sialkot.[1] Forward Sports then modified its production system, redesigned its production line and built production and testing equipment locally within several weeks to meet Adidas's requirements.[2] The production required thermo-bonded technology, in which panels are joined by heat rather than by stitching.[1] By 2014, Akhtar's family business had grown from 50 workers to about 1,400 employees.[1]
In 2018, Akhtar was elected president of the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[7]
Forward Sports continued to manufacture Adidas footballs after the 2014 World Cup. For the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the company made 5.5 million Al Rihla balls for training and retail supply, while the match balls used in Qatar were made in China.[3]
Akhtar has described automation, research and development and technical adaptation as part of Forward Sports' later development. In 2026, he said the company had introduced laser cutting, robotics and automated printing in its manufacturing processes.[8] The same year, he said Forward Sports produced 15 million footballs annually and was preparing to launch operations in Saudi Arabia through a joint venture.[9]
Recognition
Akhtar was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2019 for public service.[4] In 2023, he was among the recipients of the Hilal-i-Imtiaz for sports exports.[5]