Confusion over CWG closure tickets
By IANSWednesday, October 13, 2010
NEW DELHI - Have the tickets for the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony Thursday been sold out? Yes, says the Organising Committee. The online helpline says otherwise.
“All the tickets for the closing ceremony have been sold out,” Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot told IANS.
He declined to provide details about the specific number of tickets sold in each slot: Rs.50,000, Rs.20,000, Rs.4,000 and Rs.750.
But the Games’ online ticketing helpline — 1800 102 1294 or 1800 200 1294 — says that tickets for Thursday are still available in some slots.
“We have eight tickets available for Rs.20.000 and 240 tickets available for the Rs.50,000 slab. All tickets of Rs.750 and Rs.4,000 have been sold out,” the helpline manager told IANS.
Bhanot, however, maintained: “As far as I know, all the tickets have been sold out.”
The closing ceremony, to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Thursday, promises to be a spectacular celebration of song and dance, with a colourful laser show.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be the chief guest at the event.
The sale and availability of the Games tickets has been mired in controversy from the beginning. Spectators have often been told that the tickets have been sold out while the venues remained half-empty.
Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell had expressed concern over poor spectator turnout, particularly in some disciplines, and ordered an inquiry.
