Meet Jabulani, the World Cup ball

In the Bantu language isiZulu, the word "jabulani" means "to celebrate". Jabulani is also the name of the football that Adidas has designed for summer's World Cup in South Africa. This is the 11th official Adidas World Cup match ball. It has 11 different colours, which represent the 11 players on the field for each team. Adidas also points out that South Africa has 11 official languages.

"It is all about innovation," Antonio Zea, director of Adidas Soccer North America, told The New York Times. "The ball is the icon of the World Cup, the most visible symbol of the event. We've used innovative ideas and materials from aerospace to determine its flight." The Jabulani is manufactured in Asia and, says Zea, "the first ball is the same as the millionth ball".

Adidas says that the ball's new Grip'n'Groove technology enables a more stable flight and the ball's surface allows players a perfect grip under all conditions. With its eight thermally bonded panels, the ball is perfectly round and more accurate. "We're striving for it to have the same weight and shape in the first minute and the 90th minute," Zea said.