Tickets for next year's Olympic Games went on sale on the mainland yesterday, but it was still unclear how many will be available to Hong Kong residents wanting to see the equestrian events being staged in the city.
Seven million tickets are up for grabs for the 17-day sporting event, with 75 per cent reserved for people who live on the mainland and 25 per cent going to the rest of the world - including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, according to Rong Jun , director of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games ticketing department.
But Mr Rong said Bocog had yet to receive an application from the Hong Kong Olympic Committee on the number of equestrian event tickets it wanted to reserve for Hong Kong residents. 'We will have to decide the number of tickets to allot to Hong Kong residents when we get the application and after weighing up the demand from other regions.'
Pang Chung, honorary secretary-general of the Hong Kong Olympic Committee, said yesterday the committee had yet to discuss with Bocog the share of equestrian tickets desired for the Hong Kong public.
'We need to sort this out with Bocog soon and our president will arrive in Beijing on Thursday to discuss with them the details,' he said. Launching the mainland sales yesterday, Mr Rong said about 14 per cent of the tickets would be reserved for mainland students and young athletes, with the rest available to the public.
Sales will be held in three phases, with mainland residents able to apply for tickets on the internet, by phone and at certain Bank of China branches. Applicants in the first phase will be chosen by lucky draw.
