No refund for expelled fans, says organizers of HK’s World Grand Prix

The Consumer Council said on Friday that organizers of the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong proposed offering tournament souvenirs as compensation to snooker fans who were kicked out of the venue before the match concluded. However, it said a refund is not on the cards.

Spectators were told to leave the Kai Tak Arena late on Tuesday night, midway through the match between English snooker players Kyren Wilson and Matthew Selt. The World Grand Prix was the first major international event held at the 10,000-seat Kai Tak Arena, part of the newly-opened HK$30 billion Kai Tak Sports Park.

The organizers, the World Snooker Tour, later issued a statement confirming that “some spectators were required to leave early before the match concluded” and said they “sincerely apologize for the situation.”

Gilly Wong Fung-han, Chief Executive of the council, said they have since received 12 complaints about the tournament, including four about the early expulsion.

She said the council has been in discussions with the organizers regarding compensation plans. The organizers previously pledged to compensate the affected fans by allowing them to redeem a ticket of the same value on Wednesday and Thursday’s match.

Wong said apart from the ticket redemption, the organizers proposed offering tournament souvenirs as compensation. However, refunds are not among the options, and consumers may also demand alternative solutions.

Meanwhile, the watchdog chief noted that organizers of large-scale events should learn from this experience, advising them to discuss audience departure and related arrangements with venue management beforehand to prevent similar disputes from arising in the future.

Additionally, the Consumer Council received eight complaints regarding the withdrawal of star player Ronnie O'Sullivan from the tournament.

Wong acknowledged that it is reasonable for players to withdraw due to health reasons, making it difficult to hold the organizers accountable. She reminded consumers to be aware of the risks of participating in or watching major sporting events before purchasing tickets.