Nivia Sports

Nivia Sports, initially known as Freewill Sports Pvt Ltd, is a distinguished Indian corporate entity specializing in the manufacturing of sports equipment. Founded in 1934 in Sialkot, the company has undergone significant transformations, ultimately establishing its headquarters in Jalandhar, Punjab, India.[2]Nivia Sports is renowned for its expertise in designing and producing a wide array of sports equipment, accessories, and sportswear, encompassing athletic apparel and footwear..[3][1]

Nivia Sports
TypePrivate company
Nivia
IndustrySports equipment, textile
Founded1934 (1934)
FounderNihal Chand Kharabanda
Headquarters
Jalandhar
,
India
Area served
World Wide
Key people
  • Vijay Kharabanda
    (Chairman & managing director; 1940–2017)
  • Rajesh Kharabanda
    (managing director)
ProductsSports Shoes, Sports Balls and more
BrandsNivia Brand
Number of employees
2000
ParentFreeWill Sports[1]
Websitewww.niviasports.com

An outstanding aspect of Nivia Sports is its role as the official ball partner for numerous esteemed national and international sports leagues and tournaments. These prominent affiliations encompass major organizations such as the Indian Super League,[4] Basketball Federation of India,[5] All India Football Federation,[6] Volleyball Federation of India,[7][8] Sri Lanka Super League.[9]

Additionally, Nivia's basketball products have been awarded certification by FIBA, the International Basketball Federation.[10][11][12] This esteemed recognition underscores Nivia's unwavering commitment to meeting and exceeding international standards, ensuring that their basketball equipment stands as a symbol of quality and excellence in the world of sports.[12]

In 1934, Nihal Chand Kharabanda founded the company in Sialkot under the name Freewill Sports Pvt Ltd. Later, his son, Vijay Kharabanda, joined the company to take on a management role. The brand name "Nivia" has a unique origin, created by combining the initial two letters from the first names of both Nihal Chand Kharabanda and his son Vijay Kharabanda. This creative fusion of "Ni" and "Vi" gave birth to the distinctive and memorable brand name, "Nivia."[13]

History
Logo used till 2022

The founder's era

In 1934, Freewill was originally founded in Sialkot, which is now part of Pakistan, by Nihal Chand Kharabanda. Following the partition of the Indian subcontinent, resulting in the creation of India and Pakistan, the company relocated its operations from Sialkot to Mumbai, India. Later, it made further moves, first to Meerut, and eventually found its permanent home in Jalandhar, Punjab, in the year 1950.[1]

Nihal Chand Kharabanda, a post-graduate in political science hailing from Jalandhar, Punjab, demonstrated a strong commitment to sports equipment. To further his expertise in this field, he became associated with the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, Punjab. His endeavor was to align the company's offerings with the specific requirements of the burgeoning Indian sports industries.[14]

Vijay Kharabanda era

Nihal Chand Kharabanda's son, Vijay Kharabanda joined his father's business in 1960. The brand Nivia was registered in 1962 and the letters "VI" of the brand name were taken from his first name.[15] He introduced the nozzles in football to the sports equipment manufacturing industry football and managed to get FIFA Pro Approvals.[16] He also helped revolutionize the Indian footwear market by launching a plastic sole shoe called NIVIA Low Cut.

The company launched a full range of hand-stitched leather balls for football, volleyball, and basketball games.[1]

Rajesh Kharabanda era

In 1991, Rajesh Kharabanda, son of Vijay Kharabanda, joined the company.

In 2005, Rajesh Kharabanda was appointed as the managing director. He put his experience and succeed to get certification for basketball from the International Basketball Federation.[17]

In 2015, Rajesh Kharabanda signed a partnership with BRICS Football Cup, and Nivia has become the official ball partner of BRICS. The agreement was signed in the presence of H. E Tovar da Silva Nunes, the ambassador of Brazil in India.[18] He was successfully got the FIFA Pro approval for Nivia balls.[19]

In 2021, His efforts to get approval from the FIBA and BFI were worthy and Nivia became the official ball partner af all matches played under Basketball Federation of India. The ball has been used by both junior-level and national-level competitions.[20]

In 2022, Rajesh Kharabanda along with Abhishek Bachchan, and Vita Dani the co-owner of Chennaiyin FC had launched a kit for the 2022–23 season.[21] This includes all three home, away, and third together. These were designed by the fans through a contest held during the year 2022.[22]

Rajesh Kharabanda successfully took the challenge of designing the special shoes for para-badminton star Nilesh Gaikwad. These shoes were manufactured by keeping his legs parameters which increase the speed and the side body movement of Nilesh Gaikwad while playing. Mr. Kharabanda did not charge any cost for the specially designed shoes. The shoes have transformed Nilesh's sporting dream and career. Nilesh attributed the win of the bronze medal of the Spanish para-badminton international level 1 tournament to these Nivia shoes.[23]

Rajesh Kharabanda is also appointed as chairperson by SGMEA, he projected a workforce to work remotely for stitching footballs. This would help workers who couldn't resume their jobs after the pandemic.[24]

Products

Nivia Sports manufactures and markets sports products, sports wear, bags and accessories used for training and competition for sports including football, volleyball, basketball, handball, cricket, running, fitness etc.[25]

Football
Nivia Sports hand-stitched football from 1960s
Nivia Antrix (left), Nivia Ashtang, Ashtang 2.0 models

Nivia Sports was the first Indian sports equipment manufacturer to produce hand stitched balls, including footballs. In the 1950s, under Freewill Sports Pvt Ltd, Nivia Sports started manufacturing hand-stitched leather footballs, basketballs, and volleyballs. The company exported its balls to international markets, with its first consignment of 30 balls shipped to Indonesia. In the 1960s Nivia football received the approval of the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, Punjab, India. Its football became the official ball for the National Football Championship and for the All India Football Federation (AIFF).[15] In the 1980s, Nivia was selected as the official ball for the International Football Tournament Jawaharlal Nehru Gold Cup and South Asian Federation (SAF) Games.[15]

Nivia Ashtang is the FIFA Pro certified and approved ball from India. Nivia has been the official ball partner for Hero Indian Super League. The ball got the approval after going through trials in FIFA designated laboratory in Switzerland.[19]

Nivia Sports has also produced and sponsored other accessories related to football, such as boots, uniforms, goalkeeper gloves, goal nets, training gear, shin guards, ball pump.[26]

NIVIA Sports introduced Astra, the official match ball for Indian Super League 2021–2022.[27] The soccer ball is made with PU micro-fiber leather, in 8-panel structure which technically reduces the seam length by 23%. Astra replaced Ashtang soccer ball in the new season.

Basketball
Nivia basketball (above), and G20-20 volleyball

Nivia makes handmade balls. The basketball initially goes to a machine where a rubber blob is squeezed to flatten it to a thinner size, giving it a round shape. Then other stitching, and painting works are done manually by hand. CNNMoney showed the making of basketballs in Nivia's factory in Jalandhar (Punjab), India.[28]

NIvia Sports's basketball 'Top Gear 3.0' has received certification from International Basketball Federation (FIBA).[29]

Nivia has become the official ball partner for the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) from 2021 until 2025. It has provided official game balls for all matches organised by the BFI and FIBA.[20]

Volleyball
Nivia Vayu Volleyball

In 1963, the Nivia volleyball was selected to be used as the official ball in the Pre-Olympic Volleyball Championship organised in New Delhi, India.[15]

VAYU is the latest volleyball from NIVIA, which is India's first 12-panel ball.

Cricket

Nivia Sports also manufactures cricket balls, and cricketing apparels.[30]

Athletic shoes
NIVIA Shastra, Football shoes

During the 1980s, Nivia Sports started manufacturing sports footwear in India.[15] Through the years, the company added footwear for use in other games such as cricket, football, basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, kabaddi, wrestling, and track & field. They also produced shoelaces and gel insoles.[31]

Football boots
Nivia Ashtang Gold Football
Nivia Oslar Blade, football boot

The series of shoes includes identical properties as per their categories. It involves, Aviator, Brasil, Crane, Dominator, Ditmar, Destroyer, England, Encounter, Pro Encounter, Germany, Invader, Oslar, Oslar blade, Premier, Premier Carbonite, Premier Cleats, Spain,  Tough, and Ultra.[32]

Apparels

Nivia sports has been appointed as the official apparel partner for BFI and FIBA Backed 3x3 Pro Basketball League.[33]

Jersey

Nivia Sports manufactures jerseys for all sports. It has been the official sports partner for many of the sports clubs. Nivia Jerseys are made up of micro polyester and Nivia is the official partner for the largest clubs like Mohun Bagan SG,[34] Chennaiyin FC[35] and sports leagues as ISL, FIBA, BFI.[36]

Accessories

Nivia Sports produces sports accessories such as kits or bags, tracksuits, shorts, lowers, shocks, and windcheaters for use in cricket, football, basketball, and volleyball. The company has contributed sports equipment, footwear and accessories including badminton rackets and shuttlecocks, strings, skateboards, skating wheels, squash rackets, and swimming accessories like earplugs, fins, masks, and aqua boards.[37]

Sports Heritage Museum

The sports heritage museum stands as a distinctive tourist destination, situated within the premises of the Nivia Sports corporate office in Jalandhar, Punjab, India. This museum is committed to presenting the remarkable journey and significant innovations within the sports equipment sector throughout its history.[38]

The museum boasts an extraordinary array of historical artifacts, comprising bamboo golf clubs dating back to the 1960s, wooden field hockey sticks from the 1970s, and classic leather footballs and basketballs. Among the highlights are autographed items, including a cricket bat bearing Sachin Tendulkar's signature, footballs endorsed by legendary players like Lionel Messi and Pele, and a hockey stick autographed by the iconic Major Dhyan Chand.[39]

The museum's most distinctive feature is its portrayal of the journey of Nivia Sports, dating back to its inception in 1934 when it was known as Freewill Sports.[40] The museum also pays homage to the profound influence of Mr. Nihal Chand Kharabanda, the company's founder, on the sports industry.

Established in July 2020, the Sports Heritage Museum warmly welcomes all those with an interest in the evolution of sports equipment and is an essential stop for sports enthusiasts visiting Jalandhar. Its extensive collection of historical artifacts serves as a testament to the lasting impact of sports equipment through the ages.

Sponsorships

National Team

Futsal

Handball

National Teams

Federations and associations

Clubs Teams

Domestic leagues

References
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  2. Chengappa, C. C. (19 February 2021). "10 'Made in India' sports brands competing with global brands". thebridge.in. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  3. "Nivia Sports, FreeWill Sports Pvt Ltd". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  4. https://plus.google.com/107324234873078450867 (20 August 2018). "Hero ISL gets NIVIA as ball partner for 3 years". Indian Television Dot Com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); External link in |last= (help)
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