Trials ticket rush leave fans angry, disappointed

It was no secret that tickets for the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships this weekend would be hot property; however, several individuals are now complaining that the grandstand tickets which went on sale this morning are finished.

The Gleaner understands that persons have been assembling at several different ticket outlets, but have been unable to get their hands on tickets to the June 28 to July 1 event which will feature world stars such as Usain Bolt, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Asafa Powell and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce.

Individuals have complained of being at the stadium since early this morning, but being unable to get a ticket at the outlets.

Ruston Styles, a patron at the National Stadium ticket office on Arthur Wint Drive said that it was a hassle to get the tickets for the days he wanted.

"The organisation of getting your tickets, there are no proper queues, no organisation, no management to show you where you are supposed to go. It seems like a bomb rush thing. There is no proper organisation, its like people are selling tickets through the back door," he said.

Another disgruntled person , said that they were unable to get a ticket, but that daily passes were being sold for double by scalpers.

Ludlow Watts, Chairman of the Organising Committee for the trials told The Gleaner that they had done enough to ensure a smooth process and the complaints stem from the high demand for tickets to see what has been labelled by some as the most important National Trials in years.

“You have a grandstand area that can hold 4,600 to 4,700 persons and all the people want grandstand and finish line tickets,” he said.

Watts said that with 15 to 20,000 persons demanding grandstand tickets, it is unrealistic for everyone to be satisfied.

Watts admitted that tickets were sold to corporations, but this did not affect the general availability of tickets.

‘You will have corporate people making purchases. Large companies would be buying 1,000 tickets, but we don’t have a system or there is no suggestion that the majority of the tickets are going to them,” he said.

Watts also said that the committee could not stop scalpers from buying tickets and selling them for inflated prices.

“We cannot stop scalpers from buying tickets and reselling them. There is a lot of demand and man unscrupulous persons would be buying and selling the tickets.” Watts, however, said that tickets for the Bleachers section were still available.

One scalper, Richard, with whom The Gleaner spoke with said at the time he had six grandstand tickets left for Friday on sale for $4,500 but he would sell them for $3,500.

Richard told The Gleaner that he had arrived at the National Stadium ticket offices before 6’o’clock this morning and bought tickets when the office opened at 9 am. He did not say how many tickets he bought originally.

“We ticket dem legit man, we hustle all over, we buy and sell and make back a likkle money,” he said.

Season tickets are being sold for $5,000, while grandstand tickets for Thursday will go for $500. Friday's tickets will cost: $2,000 (Grandstand A), $1,500 (Grandstand B) and $1,200 (Grandstand C). On Saturday - $1,200 (Grandstand A), $1,000 (Grandstand B), $800 (Grandstand C) and Sunday - $2,000 (Grandstand A), $1,500 (Grandstand B) and $1,200 (Grandstand C).

Bleachers tickets for Friday through to Sunday will cost $500.

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