Bhubaneswar: There was a mad rush at ticket counters here on Friday as fans rushed to buy tickets for Saturday’s India-Pakistan hockey Champions Trophy semi-final, with supporters expressing their keenness to watch the marquee match between the arch-rivals.
Long queues were seen at the Kalinga Stadium as fans jostled to get hold of tickets, forcing Hockey India officials to issue only two per person, instead of four as in the quarter-finals.
“I had been in the line since 6am. But finally I got two tickets after three hours standing in the queue. I don’t want to miss the match,” Priyanka Piyadarsini, a college student, said.
There was online demand as well with tickets getting sold out within hours.
Due to the scarcity of tickets, black-marketing was rampant as touts sold tickets for up to five to 10 times the original price.
“I don’t mind getting a ticket at a high price. I just want to enjoy the match at any cost. I want India to win the match,” Prakash Sahu, a software company employee, said.
Hockey India officials said they were helpless to curb the black marketing.
“We are selling tickets at various ticket counters with the actual price. If someone sells tickets at higher rates, we are no way responsible for this,” a Hockey India official said.
Tickets for the India games have been in high demand here, with all four of the hosts’ matches sold out at the 7000-capacity stadium.
