LONDON - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is reviewing the sales process for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games after media allegations that tickets for London had ended up on the black market.
An Olympic movement source, who did not want to be
identified, told Reuters that the IOC was discussing various
options for Sochi but had not yet finalised a plan despite
reports that the ticket process had been suspended.
The source added that a number of interim measures were
under consideration.
The IOC said at the weekend it was investigating a report in
Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper that National Olympic
Committees (NOCs) and Authorised Ticket Resellers (ATRs)
representing some 54 nations had broken rules over the sale of
London 2012 tickets.
The allegations have also been referred to the IOC’s
independent Ethics Commission.
The newspaper reported that numerous NOCs and ATRs were
offering to buy or sell tickets outside their territories, to
sell tickets at inflated prices or sell tickets to unauthorised
resellers.
“The IOC takes these allegations very seriously. Should any
irregularities be proven, the organisation will deal with those
involved in an appropriate manner,” the Swiss-based body
declared.
“The NOCs are autonomous organisations but if any of the
cases are confirmed the IOC will not hesitate to impose the
strongest sanctions,” it added.
The London Olympics start on July 27 with most sports sold
out early in the ticketing process and more than a million
people unsuccessful in an initial ballot last year.
Sebastian Coe, chairman of organisers LOCOG, told the BBC
that the allegations were a “deeply depressing scenario if its
proven to be the case”.
He cautioned that, with just 38 days to before the Games
open in east London, there was not enough time for a full
investigation before the competition started.
One of those named by the newspaper for allegedly illicit
sales, the Greek Olympic Committee (HOC), issued a statement
rejecting the “untrue and misleading” allegations.
It said ticket sales allocated to Greece for London had been
assigned to a company run by Marcus Evans, the owner and
chairman of English soccer club Ipswich Town, which won an
international bid.
“The whole process was totally transparent and in accordance
with the laws of the Greek State. Therefore, there can be no
issue on creating a ‘black market’ by the HOC which did not buy
any tickets, whatsoever,” the statement said.
It added that the 300,000 euros received as a result of the
bid were spent on preparing elite Greek Olympic athletes at a
time when state funding had dried up due to the country’s debt
crisis.
