Engineers and product designers at Japanese sports equipment maker Molten and design studio Nendo have developed a non-inflatable soccer ball made of plastic parts intended for children in underdeveloped countries, according to media reports.

The new ball and its technical properties were unveiled today in Hiroshima.

The ball does not need to be inflated and can not be punctured, and the entire product has an educational component with the assembly, say the engineers who created it.

"Children can include learning if they assemble the ball themselves. In this way, we contribute to the education and the children will experience a sense of accomplishment because they have managed to assemble it themselves. " says Yun Uchida of Molten.

"My football kit", as the new product is called, will not be available for purchase and will only be distributed through partner companies to "children in developing countries and elsewhere," according to the company.