Ticket sales are surging for the Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade as the countdown for largest global sporting event ever staged in Taiwan reaches T minus four days.
All seats are snapped up for the Aug. 19 opening ceremony and Aug. 30 closing ceremony at Taipei Stadium. The same situation exists for the badminton tournament due to promotional efforts by Taiwan’s gold medal favorite and world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying, according to Taipei Universiade Organizing Committee Aug. 15.
Other sold-out events include diving, fencing, roller sports, table tennis finals and fixtures involving Taiwan and South Korea in baseball and basketball. A total 10 percent of tickets for rhythmic gymnastics remain, with 30 percent for archery, artistic gymnastics, judo and swimming.
TUOC spokesman Yang Ching-tang said around 40 percent of tickets for the Universiade have been sold, a figure projected to spike dramatically as competition draws for the many of the 21 official sports are held in the days ahead. Sales revenues are more than double committee projections at NT$56 million (US$1.84 million) with an average cost of NT$200 per ticket, he added.
The Universiade is an international sporting and cultural festival held biennially in a different city worldwide. The 29th edition in Taipei involves 7,699 student athletes from 141 countries and territories contesting 21 sports at 38 competition venues in Taipei, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, New Taipei and Taoyuan cities. (SFC-E)
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