Japan Organisers 'Not Satisfied' as Empty Seats Blight Asian Games
Organizers said sales are below 60% for eight sports and the closing ceremony, as empty seats appeared at several venues.
- On Saturday, Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organizers admitted they were "not satisfied" with ticket sales after swathes of empty seats appeared at the main stadium and other venues throughout Japan.
- While 13 sports achieved over 90 percent sales, organizers reported less than 60 percent of tickets sold for eight events, attributing empty seats to no-shows and unused tickets allocated to sponsors.
- The 30,000-capacity Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium appeared only one-quarter full during Friday's 100m sprints; many venues continue hosting competitions before sparse crowds despite being listed as "sold out."
- Secretary-General Satoshi Murate apologized for logistical "mistakes in accommodation and transport" after Thailand likened the operations to a "chaotic" game of "musical chairs."
- With the closing ceremony in eight days, ticket sales remain under 60 percent as Murate vowed to "keep aiming for full stadiums, keep selling tickets" to improve attendance.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Japan organisers 'not satisfied' as empty seats blight Asian Games
The 100m sprints are one of the highlights of any Games, but the 30,000-capacity Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium appeared to be only about one-quarter full on Friday night for the blue-riband events. Even the prospect of a women's pole vault gold for Japan's Misaki Morota could not pull in the home punters in big numbers at the start of the weekend. The Aichi-Nagoya Games said that less than 60 percent of tickets had been snapped up for eight sport…
The Aichi Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee has released ticket sales figures by sport. While over 90% of tickets were sold for 13 sports, seven sports, including baseball and soccer, recorded poor sales of less than 60%. On-site, criticism is mounting that the actual number of spectators is low compared to sales volume, and controversy over empty seats due to seating arrangement issues continues.
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