Jabulani is the Official Ball of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and is already one of the most sought after soccer balls in the history of the game. Perhaps this is because more interest has been generated for the 2010 World Cup match than for any other FIFA World Cup in history, but I think it is because the Jabulani looks so exotic, so African and In addition, it is a new type of soccer ball for fans and players alike. The Adidas Company designed this 2010 World Cup ball, as they do for every World Cup, and they have really raised the bar for soccer technology and style with this latest new soccer ball.
Adidas’ official ball for the 2010 World Cup is sold all over the world, mainly online, although some soccer stores sell one or two. You can buy an official Jabulani ball or a replica in the online World Cup souvenir shops, where you can receive your ball anywhere. The best deal on an Official Size 5 Jabulani can be found in World Cup Soccer Stores online right now for as little as $ 59.00 US! This is a much lower price than the official Adidas site that sells the ball for $ 150.00! Shipping costs will depend on where you want to send your ball. If you want to spend less money, consider purchasing a Jabulani replica, available in size 5, 4, and 3 for practice, kits, and children’s collections. The Jabulani replica retails for just $ 18.99 and looks virtually identical to the official ball.
Jabulani means “to feast or celebrate” in the Zulu language, which represents one of the many tribal cultures of South Africa. The design contains 11 different colors in an African-style woven elliptical pattern that spirals around the ball on a bright white background. The 11 colors used in the fabric are symbolic of the 11 players on each team, the 11 official and tribal languages spoken in South Africa, and the fact that the Jabulani is the 11th Adidas ball of the World Cup. For a sports ball this is a delight to behold and sometimes I enjoy watching the ball as much as the players! So beautiful, so cool; only to be kicked around the world by hundreds of the strongest soccer players and possibly millions of aspiring fans and future soccer stars. You’d think it wouldn’t even matter HOW the soccer ball looked; It’s who wins the game that counts, right? Maybe not quite! Designed for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup event, the Jabulani soccer ball is so beautiful to look at that everyone wants one, even non-soccer fans. Adidas designs a different official ball for each World Cup and many fans around the world collect them, store them in special display cases or in their original packaging to keep the ball in perfect condition. This fan behavior can finally be understood now that a ballgoer has been released.
The new technology that makes the Jabulani ball different are; The air and traction grooves that are molded into the surface are designed to provide greater grip and control, but can also be responsible for additional volatility and trajectory spin. The jabulani apparently has a more perfectly spherical overall shape that was supposed to provide greater shooting accuracy, but we still don’t see it develop in the field. I wonder if all the players had enough time to practice with the new ball. The other new technology used to create the Jabulani is that it is assembled with just 8 panels that are seamlessly molded and thermally bonded. There are NO stitches that interfere with the spinning motion of the balls. The Jabulani really spins like a dervish, you can actually see the difference when you watch him fly around the stadium on those long long passes.
Although there have been many regular complaints and complaints about the Jabulani from some players, it truly is the coolest soccer ball of all time. It goes faster and has trajectory differences that are creating a little leeway in the game which means players need to hone some twisted new turning skills. Scoring has been low so far in the World Cup tournament and perhaps the Jabulani is making it more difficult for scorers to control the ball at longer distances. Obviously the ball presents challenges for goalkeepers and it’s harder to get an exact reading of where the heck the Jabulani is heading on a long shot. Wait until there is wind! Some players have noticed that it is too light and moves like a beach ball! Oh!
After the first days of games, it seems that the players are controlling the new type of ball; There have already been improvements as the games progress and the ball is more in play. The official ball cannot be changed once the World Cup has started, so players will only have to adapt. Each player will have to make the same adjustment, so the playing field is level, even if it does feature some new twists on how to play the ball. These are the best soccer players in the world and they are quite capable of understanding and acting on any small changes to the ball. Weather always has a pretty profound effect on the ball anyway and players have had to adjust to these differences in ball motion due to temperature and altitude since the game started.
The Jabulani is now the best known ball by name in the history of World Cup matches; most soccer fans can’t even name another ball. This one is very special and will be remembered for a long time for its beauty, street style and controversy just like the African continent. Congratulations to the Adidas company for a great design and interesting interpretation of African culture.
