Tickets to see Chinese Olympians almost sell out within sixty minutes as Hong Kong public shows appetite for Tokyo 2020 medallists
- A government spokesman says 90 per cent of the 5,300 tickets were scooped up within one hour of being made available online
- Venue capacities for three events on December 4 will not be increased to accommodate more fans because of Covid-19 restrictions
Tickets to watch China’s Olympic athletes in Hong Kong next week are almost sold out and the government said it will not increase venue capacities because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A spokesperson for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) said around 90 per cent of the 5,300 tickets available were sold after they were released online at 10am on Friday. As of late afternoon, “almost all” tickets were sold.
“In view of the latest [Covid-19] epidemic, the number of tickets will not be adjusted,” said a spokesperson for the Home Affairs Bureau. “People can still enjoy the show by watching it on television and we will have some broadcasting arrangements in place.”
Superstar sprinter Su Bingtian, table tennis legend Ma Long and women’s sprint cyclist Zhong Tianshi are among 29 Olympic athletes and three coaches who will visit Hong Kong from December 3-5.
It has become a tradition in Hong Kong since the handover for China’s Olympic athletes to visit the city after the Games to boost morale and raise the profile of sports.
However, in previous post-Olympic years the visits came within a few weeks of the Games ending and there were doubts about whether the mainland stars would make it to Hong Kong after Tokyo 2020 because of the pandemic and the city’s 21-day quarantine rule. The Chinese athletes will bypass quarantine regulations.
