Less than 100 days from the opening of 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGOC) on Tuesday extended an invitation to 50,000 Hong Kong students to come and see the games.

"The idea is, Hong Kong students can come to Guangzhou to watch competitions on weekends when they don't have classes," said Fang Daer, director of marketing of the GAGOC. The Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong will meet with schools to discuss how the 50,000 complimentary tickets should be distributed, said Secretary General Peng Chung.

Incentives are being dangled before Hong Kong athletes. The GAGOC says it will give any Hong Kong athlete who sets a world record at the games a diamond worth 100,000 yuan. An Asian record breaker will be awarded a diamond worth 50,000 yuan.

The 16th Guangzhou Asian Games are scheduled from November 12 to 27. Preparations have entered the final stages. Organizers say all venues will be ready no later than the end of September.

The largest ever Hong Kong delegation of over 500 athletes will compete in 34 sports at this year's Asian Games, according to Peng.

Peng believes many Hong Kong sports fans will want to see the competitions in person, since the two cities are just across the water from one another. He predicted ticket sales will be strong.

Ji Lei, deputy administration manager of the Ticketing Division of the GAGOC estimated that about 90,000 tickets, accounting for about 3 percent of the total, will be allocated for sale to Hong Kong fans. He stressed the amount is to be adjusted according to the demand.

The price range goes from 10 to 400 yuan, except for A-level tickets for the finals in badminton and basketball, which are 600 yuan, Ji said.

The tickets will be sold by China Travel Service (HK) Limited (CTS). The agent has already designed different packages, including Asian Games tickets, accommodation and tourism attractions, said Chen Wenjie, director and deputy general manager of CTS.

Most Hong Kong people probably are unaware that public sales of Asian Games tickets already has reached the end of the second round. Ji noted that sales were good and nearly 10 percent of the total available tickets were already sold. The second round of sales limited to the opening and closing ceremony will close on August 15. Tickets may be ordered through the official ticketing website, with final distribution determined by lottery.

China Daily

(HK Edition 08/11/2010 page1)