November 29, 2019, 11:32 PM
Tickets for 53 out of 56 sports in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), which will run from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in Manila, will now be free for all, according to lead organiser Philippines House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
Three sports excluded, no reimbursement for sold tickets
Cayetano made the announcement on Friday amidst calls to make all events more accessible to the public, according to ABS CBN News.
Basketball, volleyball, and football are excluded from the list of free events.
However, tickets that have been bought will not be reimbursed.
Those who have already bought tickets will instead receive free donuts or ice-cream, one of the organisers mentioned.
At least 10,000 tickets for the SEA Games 2019 Closing Ceremony will also be available for free on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Cayetano added that the decision was made under the orders of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.
However, it was not reported whether non-Filipino citizens will be eligible for the free tickets.
Duterte calls for probe into SEA Games preparation
Duterte has also called for investigations into the preparation for the SEA Games after a problematic week of logistical issues, from cramped buses to lack of food for athletes, which resulted in international headlines.
On Nov. 25, construction workers were seen rushing renovation works for competition venues.
A worker was injured in the process.
Workers are in haste as renovations of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, the venue for the football competitions for the 30th SEA Games, are still being done hours before the 1st match between Malaysia against Myanmar at 4 p.m. today. | via Miguel de Guzman pic.twitter.com/tihDmDozSX
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) November 25, 2019
Duterte told reporters to let his administration investigate the matter, and advised them not to "create a firestorm" as the organisers were in the midst of preparations, CNA reported.
Duterte said: "To me personally there was a lot of money poured into this activity. Now I suppose that with that kind of money you can run things smoothly. Apparently, maybe something went wrong,"
Top image via @OFFICIALMUNTI/Twitter
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