Organisers deny online delays for Olympic tickets
BEIJING (AFP) — Long online delays were reported Monday as Chinese rushed to secure tickets for the Beijing Olympics in the final phase of domestic sales, but officials insisted there were no major problems.
Some Internet users said they were unable to buy any of the 1.38 million tickets available, and buyers reported long lines at sales outlets.
"I went to the Bank of China this morning but there was nearly 100 people in line so I went home and tried online," said Yan Ziyu, a Beijing student.
"I tried for four hours online, but got nothing."
Others said that the Internet system crashed during the payment process, or messages would pop up saying "temporarily disabled" when they tried to buy their tickets.
However an official at the Olympic Games Ticketing Centre, who refused to be named, told AFP that "there is no problem on the web to buy tickets."
Some buyers reported success, but complained that each person was limited to purchasing only six tickets in two events.
Tickets went on sale Monday for the last time before the August Games at Bank of China outlets and on the Internet, with officials vowing that the computer system would not crash as it did in October.
The hiccup, which left millions of Chinese frustrated, led to the dismissal of the head of the Olympic Games ticketing system.
Although many of the Bank of China outlets sold out their tickets by the afternoon, officials said more would be on offer Tuesday.
Wu Yuanxi, 25, had turned up at a central Beijing branch at lunchtime to buy tickets for an athletics competition.
"They've sold out today so I will come back again tomorrow at around 7:30 in the morning," Wu said.
The total number of tickets sold by Monday afternoon was not known, but a statement by BOCOG said that tickets for four competitions had sold out by 9.30 am, without saying which they were.
Sun Weide, a BOCOG spokesman, said he hoped to have more information later in the day.
The tickets will be on sale until June 9, with 58 percent of the total number costing less than 100 yuan (13 dollars), in an effort to keep the Olympics affordable for the large majority of the Chinese people.
