As the countdown to the 15th National Games continues, online ticketing got off to a smooth start on Thursday morning. Eleven China Travel Service branches have also opened their doors for in-person purchases.
The first batch of tickets became available at 10am for both online and offline sales, covering four events to be held in Hong Kong: beach volleyball, men's handball, men's under-22 basketball, and rugby sevens.
Marking the first time the city has co-hosted the National Games with Guangdong and Macau, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu took to social media to encourage citizens to take advantage of the rare opportunity to witness major sporting events and cheer for local athletes.
At a designated sales point in Wan Chai, eager residents arrived as early as 9am to fill out ticket purchase forms.
Each form required personal identification details and contact information, allowing for the purchase of up to six tickets per selected event.
Among them was a Form One student who arrived an hour early, expressing a desire to secure a physical ticket and experience the in-person purchasing process.
As a volleyball player, he hoped to buy tickets for beach volleyball and men's handball to study the games, with plans to attend other events in Guangzhou.
Regarding the six-ticket limit, he believed it was reasonable and that the real-name ticketing system would help ensure more people could obtain tickets.
Another citizen from Tuen Mun, hoping to buy tickets for rugby sevens and basketball, felt confident about securing rugby tickets due to the larger venue capacity.
Although he found the basketball ticket prices somewhat high, he remained enthusiastic about supporting the local events.
At a different sales location, a man surnamed Wong traveled from Tsing Yi to purchase a ticket for the rugby sevens event, eager to witness the competitions at the new Kai Tak venue.
Unfamiliar with online ticketing, he appreciated the convenience of the in-person process and suggested increasing the number of sales points to assist elderly citizens and those less comfortable with technology.
Another citizen, surnamed Li, voiced frustration over a cumbersome online registration process and frequent system errors he encountered while trying to purchase tickets for the bowling event earlier. This experience led him to buy his tickets in person.
Li called for a more flexible approach to ticketing for the National Games to improve the overall experience, recommending that future sales, like those for local football matches, include the option to purchase tickets directly at the venue.
The first batch of tickets for the games going on sale today includes two events bearing the Hong Kong Jockey Club's title: "The 15th National Games of the People's Republic of China The Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Rugby Sevens Competition" and "The 15th National Games of the People's Republic of China The Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Basketball (Men’s U22) Competition."
HKJC is the sole partner of the National Games Hong Kong Competition Region, with its Charities Trust having approved a total allocation of HK$450 million. The funding is primarily dedicated to volunteer services, territory-wide community and school promotion campaigns, and arranging spectating experiences for underprivileged groups and youth.
Two events with the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games will also carry the Jockey Club's title: "The 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games The Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Wheelchair Fencing Competition" and "The 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games The Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Para Table Tennis (T11) Competition."
Simultaneously, the Jockey Club is providing extensive support for the Guangdong region events.
Beyond supporting related official activities, volunteer services, and promotional work, it also offers technical support for the equestrian events. The Club has allocated RMB 50 million to support the preparatory work, covering related donations and resource requirements.
