TOKYO: Want tickets for next year’s Tokyo Olympics? Prepare to be let down.
Millions were disappointed starting Thursday when applicants in a ticket lottery — for Japan residents, only — began learning if they landed tickets. The answer is going to be overwhelmingly — no. The same will be true for residents outside Japan who could experience a similar dejection: too much demand and too few tickets.
This was not the case at the last several games — the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro — when tickets were given away and volunteers were often summoned to fill empty seats for the television cameras. At times, there were too many empty seats to fill.
“This is probably going to be the most popular Olympics, and possibly one of the most popular events of all time,” Ken Hanscom, the chief operating officer of TicketManager, told The Associated Press in an interview.
His Los Angeles-based company does not buy or sell Olympic tickets, but manages tickets for corporate clients, several of which are major Olympic sponsors.
Hanscom said he follows ticketing patterns for every major event and estimates that 80-90% of Japan residents who applied for tickets could get nothing.
“I’m interested in seeing what the reaction is and how the organizing committee addresses this,” Hanscom said. “It’s good news for the demand, and bad news on the ticket side and the public.”
Tokyo’s organizing committee was unable Thursday to say how many Japan residents got tickets, and it’s unclear if — or when — it will disclose the overall numbers. Organizers will run a second ticketing phase where the odds will probably be even worse.
Japanese media immediately began reporting about disheartened fans. A completely unscientific AP survey of a few fans showed one ticket awarded in 15 application attempts. The millions who failed got this message in email from Tokyo organizers.
“Thank you for your interest in purchasing Tokyo 2020 tickets. The demand for tickets was incredibly high, and unfortunately, you were not awarded any of the tickets you requested in the lottery.”
Simple math explains the supply and demand crunch.
Tokyo organizers say that 7.5 million residents of Japan registered to apply for tickets through the lottery system. Extrapolating from the 2012 London Olympic lottery, Hanscom estimates that Tokyo organizers may have received 70-85 million individual ticket requests. This could be at least 10 times more than what’s available. Maybe more.
Organizers estimate there are 7.8 million tickets for all Olympic events, but 20-30% of those are for distribution outside Japan where buyers could face the same problems and end up paying more.
Buyers outside Japan must get tickets from Authorized Ticket Resellers, companies appointed by national Olympic committees. They were authorized to begin sales on Thursday.
The reseller for the United States is CoSport, which also handles sales in Australia, Jordan and several European countries. Cartan is the reseller for much of Latin America including Mexico.
Resellers are allowed to charge a 20% handling fee on every ticket. They can also use a generous currency exchange rate, and often package desirable tickets with top hotels that charge way over the usual going rate during the Olympics.
Ticket prices for buyers in Japan vary greatly and are listed in the competition section on the organizers’ website.
The opening ceremony on July 24 features the most expensive ticket — 300,000 yen ($2,700). The most expensive ticket for the closing ceremony is 220,000 yen ($2,000).
Even with the soaring demand, many venues could still wind up with hundreds of empty seats that are typically set aside for International Olympic Committee officials, corporate sponsors, and local dignitaries. Often they don’t show up while angry fans line up outside without tickets.
“I expect there will be a problem in Tokyo,” Hanscom said. “The industry figure is that 40% of tickets that sponsors buy go in the trash,” he said. He said the problem was acute for the Olympics and World Cup.
“Every Olympics you have a new group of people running ticketing,” he said. “And you have new technology. So you’re always scrambling to put the process together.”
Even athletes could have a tough time landing many tickets for family members and friends.
All athletes can get two tickets for each session in which they compete. These tickets are sold by the organizing committee to national Olympic committees for distribution. For swimming, it’s only one. In addition, some national Olympic committees pass on added tickets to athletes.
“The United States Olympic Committee has confirmed it will continue its program of supplying Team USA athletes with two complimentary tickets for each event they compete in,” the USOC told AP in a statement. The USOC said this was in addition to tickets coming from the organizing committee.
Hanscom pointed out that “many countries don’t make the same gesture, and many athletes who qualify late have added problems.”
Given the shortage, scalping is sure to be a big problem, as it is at every Olympics and soccer World Cup.
The ticketing system for the Olympics and soccer’s World Cup is murky, allowing for abuse, anger, and confusion with tickets often appearing in the hands of high-ranking officials.
Three years ago at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, International Olympic Committee member Patrick Hickey of Ireland was arrested on suspicion of ticket scalping. He is suspended from the IOC, but remains a member and has denied any wrongdoing. This was not the first time that a high-ranking member of the IOC or FIFA — soccer’s governing body — was implicated in profiteering on the black market.
Hanscom predicted a “vibrant secondary market” will appear despite a law that went into force a few days ago in Japan that prohibits ticket scalping with the penalty of a 1 million yen ($9,100) fine and a one-year jail term — or both.
However, the law has a large loophole and does not apply to tickets distributed for free or given away as gifts, or tickets without a purchaser’s name. This could apply to many tickets coming from the IOC, the 200 national Olympic committees, or some major Olympic sponsors.
Local Japanese Olympic sponsors have paid over $3 billion in sponsorship fees, and also sure to get a slice of tickets before they hit the public market.
“What I always say is that tickets are temptation,” Hanscom said. “It’s going to be challenging to enforce sales that happen internationally. I would expect there to be a large market that’s outside the rules and regulations. These types of rules are not going to constrict the biggest brokers who have been doing this for 20 years.”
Tokyo Olympic tickets: Be prepared to be disappointed
Tokyo Olympic tickets: Be prepared to be disappointed
- “This is probably going to be the most popular Olympics, and possibly one of the most popular events of all time,” said Ken Hanscom, the chief operating officer of TicketManager
- Tokyo organizers say that 7.5 million residents of Japan registered to apply for tickets through the lottery system
Netflix showcases Ittihad and Ahli episodes of new docuseries at exclusive Jeddah screening
- Six-part “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff” will be available for streaming on the platform from Thursday
- Al-Ittihad’s episode is titled, “The struggle to achieve glory,” while Al-Ahli’s is “Counterattack”
JEDDAH: Ahead of its official launch on Nov. 21, Netflix gave an exclusive first look at its new documentary series, “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff,” on Tuesday night with two viewing events in Jeddah that showcased episodes covering the city’s two giant clubs.
The screenings were attended by club officials, members of the media, sports bloggers and Al-Ahli’s German coach Matthias Jaissle.
Al-Ittihad’s episode is titled, “The struggle to achieve glory,” while Al-Ahli’s is “Counterattack.”
Two more exclusive screening events will take place in Riyadh on Wednesday to unveil episodes on Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.
Attendees at the Muvi theater in Jeddah were treated to storylines on Karim Benzema’s experiences during his first season at Al-Ittihad, and Jaissle’s leadership at Al-Ahli as the club battled to gain qualification to the AFC Champions League on their return to the Saudi Pro League after relegation two season earlier.
As well as shining a spotlight on Jeddah’s big-name players, the episodes also showcased emerging local talents from the two clubs, such as Al-Ahli’s forward Feras Al-Buraikan, and the 16-year-old striker Talal Hajji of Al-Ittihad.
Jaissle said that he was impressed with the first look at “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff,” and described Al-Ahli’s episode in three words: “Overwhelmed, emotional and authentic as well.”
“I really enjoyed the special documentary on Al-Ahli, and it offers an exclusive look into the world of Saudi league, showcasing Al-Ahli dynamics and individual player journeys,” he said.
Adnan Jastania, a renowned Saudi football analyst who watched Al-Ittihad’s episode, said: “It really shows the drama, excitement and passion for football in Saudi Arabia. I enjoyed the intra-history of Al-Ittihad and the culture of the oldest sports in Saudi.”
Set to launch on Thursday, the docuseries will have six episodes in total and will focus on the battle for the 2023-24 SPL title with focus on then-reigning champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Ettifaq.
Greece’s Olympiacos hits out at police death probe
- “This latest development... is yet another attempt to blackmail Olympiacos FC, aiming to undermine both the Olympiacos family and its President,” the club said
- “It follows the unjust collective targeting of our fans“
ATHENS: Greek football powerhouse Olympiacos on Wednesday slammed a probe targeting their top management in connection with the death of a riot policeman at the hands of hooligans last year.
Judicial authorities have called owner and president Evangelos Marinakis to appear next week to answer to possible misdemeanour charges of supporting a criminal organization and fomenting sports violence.
“This latest development... is yet another attempt to blackmail Olympiacos FC, aiming to undermine both the Olympiacos family and its President,” the club, which is also active across several sports besides football, said in a statement.
“It follows the unjust collective targeting of our fans,” it added, which it said was “fueled by specific political and business interests.”
In December 2023 riot officer Yiorgos Lyggeridis was fatally injured by a marine flare fired outside a sports hall during an Olympiacos-Panathinaikos volleyball match near Piraeus.
The 31-year-old died in hospital and stadiums across the country were closed for several weeks as a result of the incident.
More than a dozen people, reportedly hard-line Olympiacos fans, were subsequently placed in pre-trial detention as part of the investigation.
Several of those held are said to be senior members of Gate 7, Olympiacos’s main supporters’ club, and authorities suspect they could not have operated without the knowledge of club officials.
Besides Marinakis, four other members of the club board including Piraeus mayor Yiannis Moralis have been called to appear on Tuesday, where the authorities will decide whether to formalize the charges facing them.
Olympiacos on Wednesday said Marinakis, a shipping and media magnate who is also a majority owner of Premier League side Nottingham Forest and Portugal’s Rio Ave, has a “clear conscience,” “cannot be intimidated and will not back down.”
Piraeus mayor Moralis has also denied any involvement.
Vieira takes over at struggling Genoa
- “Genoa CFC announces that Patrick Vieira has been entrusted with the technical management of the first team,” the club said
- The 48-year-old replaces Alberto Gilardino who was sacked on Tuesday
ROME: Former France and Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira was named on Wednesday as the new coach of relegation-threatened Serie A club Genoa.
“Genoa CFC announces that Patrick Vieira has been entrusted with the technical management of the first team,” the club said in a statement.
“The new coach will direct the first training session this afternoon after the formalization of the contract at the Villa Rostan headquarters.”
The 48-year-old replaces Alberto Gilardino who was sacked on Tuesday with the club 17th in the table, just one point clear of the relegation zone.
Vieira, a 1998 World Cup winner with France, spent the bulk of his playing career with Arsenal driving them to three Premier League titles and two domestic doubles.
He later went on to play for Juventus and Inter Milan, where he won four Serie A titles, before closing his on-field career with Manchester City.
His management career has taken him to New York City, Nice, Crystal Palace and his last job at Strasbourg which he left “by mutual agreement” in July.
’Rare joy’ as war-hit Sudan reaches African football showpiece
- The feat, achieved at the expense of Ghana comes despite the team having to play all their matches abroad and the domestic league being suspended
- The match marked Sudan’s 10th qualification for the continental tournament
PORT SUDAN: Football fans in Sudan, a country torn apart by war, are savouring a rare moment of pride after the national team qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations finals.
The feat, achieved at the expense of Ghana, one of the continent’s traditional powerhouses, comes despite the team having to play all their matches abroad and the domestic league being suspended.
Streets of Port Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of displaced endure agonizing waits for water and health care, came alive after the match, with car horns blaring and ecstatic fans waving Sudanese flags from the windows.
The match marked Sudan’s 10th qualification for the continental tournament, offering a rare moment of happiness to a nation devastated by 19 months of war.
“Our joy after the game... could not truly reflect the emotions in our hearts,” one jubilant fan, Hassan Mohamed, told AFP.
In Port Sudan, the country’s de facto capital since last year, fans gathered in cafes Monday to watch the final group stage match against Angola, played in Benghazi, Libya.
Others followed the action on mobile phones, holding their breath in the final moments, an AFP correspondent reported.
Despite a goalless draw, Sudan secured the second qualifying spot for next year’s AFCON finals from a group that, besides Angola and Ghana, also included Niger.
As the referee’s whistle signalled the end of the game, chairs toppled over as fans jumped for joy.
Celebrations spilled into the streets of the Red Sea port city, where car horns echoed in triumph.
It was only the second time that Sudan, the champions in 1970, made it to the AFCON finals in the last seven editions.
Social media platforms lit up with images of the players, as Sudanese users hailed the team’s qualification as a “rare joy in dark times.”
“Their aim was to bring a smile back to the Sudanese people,” Khalid Omer Yousif, vice-chairman of the Sudanese Congress Party, wrote on X.
Speaking to AFP by phone, sports journalist Nasr Al-Din Al-Fadalabi called the achievement “an impossible smile in a time of sorrow.”
Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Tens of thousands have been killed and more than 11 million have been displaced, including over three million who fled the country.
Inside Sudan, displaced people face compounding humanitarian crises and the threat of famine, even in areas spared direct fighting.
The war has devastated the country’s infrastructure, crippled the health sector and shuttered most businesses.
Football has not escaped the turmoil.
With the domestic league suspended, Sudanese football has taken a new path.
Home games were relocated to South Sudan and Libya, and the national team trained in Saudi Arabia.
Players have signed contracts abroad, including goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa in Tanzania.
Sudanese footballers in Libya benefit from local status, while others who played abroad are now in the national team.
Among them is Mohamed Eisa, a star forward who spent years in British leagues and now plays in Iran.
The war has also seeped into football.
In an October match against Ghana, team captain Ramadan Agab mimicked a victory gesture associated with army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, taunting his paramilitary rivals.
Burhan has praised the team in public statements and visits to the football federation.
For many Sudanese, this week’s qualification was a moment of pride and unity.
“Despite the divisions among some and despite so many obstacles... they (the players) have overcome every challenge,” said fan Akrama Ali Karamallah.
“I believe they will go even further, and as they say, nothing is impossible.”
Bento’s UAE enjoy dream international week to reignite World Cup hopes
- Emirati team raises possibility of a return to the game’s biggest stage for the first since 1990
- A quartet of charged fixtures remain to bridge a three-point gap to second-placed Uzbekistan
DUBAI: Not even the UAE’s Golden Generation enjoyed a night quite like this.
Tuesday’s rampant 5-0 thrashing of Qatar turbo-boosted hopes of making a hallowed World Cup return for the first time since 1990 and emphatically earned redemption for a series of humbling results inflicted by their Gulf neighbour.
Such was the heightened feeling of bonhomie throughout the Emirates that a post-match McDonald’s visit by four-goal Fabio De Lima was interrupted by a grateful Al-Nasr supporter telling the star of Dubai rivals Al-Wasl: “Today, I love you.”
At times of great joy, a sense of perspective is hard to find.
Especially when celebrations follow a thumping of the double Asian Cup holders to earn one of the great occasions in your country’s footballing history, bettering the contentious semi-final defeat on home soil by Qatar in 2019’s edition.
Added momentum comes from last week’s 3-0 Group A victory against Kyrgyzstan, inspired by Shabab Al-Ahli star Harib Abdalla.
Much has been accomplished by the third-placed Whites, who are now within touching distance of the automatic qualification spots, but much remains to achieve on this tricky path to World Cup 2026.
“In this moment, it is normal that some people are really happy and, sometimes, out of control,” said boss Paulo Bento at Al-Nahyan Stadium. “It is important that we keep calm and be humble.
“That is the most important for us. They (the players) know how we, as a technical staff, think.
“We faced a very good team (Qatar), with very good players. Well managed, that have very good principles.
“We tried to choose the best strategy to control their best features and, at the same time, explore their weaknesses. The responsibility for that was the guys.
“They accomplished the game plan in the best way. We know it was difficult to predict how Qatar could play.
“The guys adapted themselves in the right way. To reach a result like this, it is important to be fair.
“In Uzbekistan, we had chances to score, but at the end, we were not effective. Today, we were really effective.
“All of this allowed us to reach this kind of result. But, in football, it is normal that the good ones are the guys that win and the bad ones are the guys that lose.
“Things are not like that. It was because we respect them (Qatar) that we won the game.”
The UAE’s second-ever entry into the world’s most important football event appeared to be slipping away after October’s disheartening 1-1 home draw with bottom-placed North Korea and 1-0 defeat against 10 men in Uzbekistan.
This once-perilous situation has changed for the better during a crunch November that has returned them to contention.
It also shifts the narrative around a UAE side typically viewed as talented, but unable to consistently deliver in clutch moments.
No one questioned the peerless ability of AFC Players of the Year Omar Abdulrahman and Ahmed Khalil, ruthless 2015 Asian Cup top scorer Ali Mabkhout and much of the preceding Golden Generation.
They even gained silverware at the 2013 Arabian Gulf Cup and represented their country with distinction at the London 2012 Olympics.
This cherished cohort did not, truthfully, come close to making World Cup 2014 or 2018. False dawns included memorable qualifying wins against Japan and Saudi Arabia, eventually rendered worthless by dropped points versus also-rans.
Neither could the emergent squad that followed for 2022’s cycle. They narrowly fell to Asian heavyweights Australia in the fourth round, without the injured De Lima.
The confines are still punishingly tight for 2026. Bento, his players and the UAE en masse, however, now hold tangible reasons to believe.
They are the third round’s joint-second top scorers with 12 goals — only an omnipotent Japan have more with 22. Their four goals conceded is bettered only by the Japanese (two) and Iraq (three).
Clubmates Yahya Al-Ghassani and Abdalla were at their freewheeling best this month. A centre-back pairing of Al-Jazira’s graceful Khalifa Al-Hammadi and Al-Ain’s redoubtable Kouame Autonne competes with anything on the continent.
Enviable strength in depth was provided by Fleetwood Town utility man Mackenzie Hunt, Wasl’s Tahnoon Al-Zaabi and veteran striker Caio Canedo.
Words can scarcely do justice to De Lima, his adopted country’s first “super hat-trick” scorer in World Cup qualifying. Three of these came before half-time, including a sumptuous free kick.
Further encouragement is provided by possible debut call-ups for more naturalised players when qualifying resumes with avisit to World Cup regulars Iran on March 20, 2025. These could include prolific Sharjah forward Caio Lucas, plus Al-Wahda’s promising defenders Lucas Pimenta and Alaeddine Zouhir.
A quartet of charged fixtures remain to bridge a three-point gap to second-placed Uzbekistan and their section’s final automatic spot, with leaders Iran a further three points ahead. The penultimate clash with the Uzbeks on June 5, 2025 looms large.
Qatar are only three points further behind. Their ambitions of gate-crashing the top two are not extinguished, despite the UAE’s pair of redeeming third-round wins against them.
Fail to make the most of this month’s 100 percent haul and the fourth-round lottery awaits. Even more jeopardy would follow for the UAE in the fifth round/inter-confederation play-offs.
Bento’s measured approach has patiently put his charges in a position to secure direct entry. A shot at legendary status is theirs to grasp.
