Kenyans buy Olympics tickets on deadline day

The logo for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is seen in Tokyo on March 15, 2020. PHOTO | CHARLY TRIBALLEAU |

What you need to know:

  • The tickets, which went for between US$29 (Sh2995.84) and US$1,320 (136362.20) depending on the day, events and arena, were sold on a first come first serve basis.
  • Eighty-seven Kenyans have so far qualified for the Olympic Games, which are returning to Japan after 56 years.

It has been a “busy” day for Kenyan fans on the final day of purchasing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games tickets.

Doubts have been growing every day on whether the quadrennial competition will go ahead as planned from July 24 to August 9 in the Japanese city due to the deadly COVID-19 disease caused by coronavirus.

Japan is one of the countries that has been hit hard by the virus, with 1,500 cases reported and 31 deaths.

Asked whether all the standalone tickets allocated to Kenya had been sold out on deadline day (March 16), Managing Director of Kingdom Sports Group (KSG), Daniel Beniston said: “Sorry, all information about sales are commercial in confidence, but I can advise it has been as busy as we expected, interest in the Olympic Games is as high as ever.”

Kingdom Sports Group is the sports marketing firm that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the rights to sell the Olympic 2020 tickets in 36 countries, Kenya included.

The tickets, which went for between US$29 (Sh2995.84) and US$1,320 (136362.20) depending on the day, events and arena, were sold on a first come first serve basis.

Eighty-seven Kenyans have so far qualified for the Olympic Games, which are returning to Japan after 56 years.

The list of events that Kenyans have qualified to the biggest sporting event in the world, include men’s and women’s rugby sevens , women’s indoor volleyball, taekwondo, swimming, boxing and para-rowing, as well as athletics.