Hong Kong to host 2009 East Asian Games in December
More than 3,000 athletes from nine countries or regions will compete in the 2009 East Asian Games (EAG) in Hong Kong from December 5-13. This is the biggest ever EAG and will be the largest multi-sport event yet held in the city.
Tickets for the Hong Kong 2009 EAG competitions and ceremonies will go on sale from August 31.
A record 262 gold medals are up for grabs, with the best athletes from China; Democratic People's Republic of Korea; Hong Kong, China; Japan; Korea; Macao, China; Mongolia; Chinese Taipei; and Guam taking part. More than 3,000 athletes will compete at the EAG, which will feature 22 sports, with more than 1,700 competition events at 21 venues. Some 200,000 spectators are expected.
Hong Kong will field its own team at the EAG under the “One Country, Two Systems” principle enshrined in the Basic Law – the territory's mini-constitution. At the last EAG in Macao in 2005, Hong Kong’s athletes won 13 medals.
Hong Kong is promoting itself as a natural host for this regional event, with its “prime location at the heart of East Asia, its great infrastructure and connectivity, world-class hotels, hospitality and cuisine.”
As Asia’s sports hub, the territory is home to exciting annual events such as the Hong Kong Sevens (rugby), Hong Kong Marathon, Hong Kong Open Championship (golf), Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes, Hong Kong World Grand Prix (volleyball), the International Tennis Champions Challenge and the International Dragon Boat Races. In 2008, Hong Kong staged the Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events as co-host of the Beijing Olympics.
More information about the EAG can be found on the Web site: [www.2009eastasiangames.hk].
Tickets for the Hong Kong 2009 EAG competitions and ceremonies will go on sale from August 31.
Tickets for the opening ceremony will be sold at HK$1,000 (US$128.2) each, while those for the closing ceremony are priced at HK$200 (US$25.64), HK$400 (US$51.28) and HK$600 (US$76.92). Ticket prices for competition events, will range from HK$50 (US$6.41) to HK$300 (US$38.46), with 90% of tickets priced at HK$50 (US$6.41) or HK$100 (US$12.82).
All competition event tickets are available in the form of one-day passes. Rugby Sevens, though, will offer only two-day passes, and tickets for DanceSport events are sold in three sessions - morning, afternoon and evening. Rowing, windsurfing, squash (doubles preliminaries) and cycling (road events) are non-ticketed events.
Approximately 410,000 seats will be available for competition events and ceremonies, including 80,000 seats reserved for athletes, delegates, media workers and VIPs, and 120,000 education tickets the Jockey Club Charities Trust sponsors. About 210,000 tickets will be offered for public sale.
Hong Kong Ticketing (HKT) has been officially commissioned as the ticketing agent. Tickets will be available for public sale at ticketing outlets of the HKT from 10 a.m. on August 31. The public can also purchase tickets by calling the telephone booking hotline: (852) 3128-8288 or visiting the HKT’s webpage: [www.hkticketing.com].
A 10% discount will be offered for purchases from August 31 to September 13 or purchases of 10 or more full-priced tickets in each transaction. Half-priced tickets are available for the elderly, children under 12, the disabled and students. Patrons can buy tickets for up to three sessions during each transaction. Each session will have a quota for the number of tickets which can be sold per transaction. |
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