Asian Games organisers say ticket sales below 60pc for eight sports and closing ceremony

Athletes walk next to the Costa Serena cruise ship where Asian Games competitors and team members are staying as it is docked at Port Messe Nagoya in Nagoya September 25, 2026. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organisers said today that ticket sales are below 60 per cent for eight sports, including baseball, football and hockey, as well as for the closing ceremony. — AFP pic

First Published: Friday, 25 Sep 2026 6:08 PM MYT

NAGOYA, Sept 25 — The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organisers said today that ticket sales are below 60 per cent for eight sports, including baseball, football and hockey, as well as for the closing ceremony, Kyodo News reported.

While the organisers released data on ticket sales as of yesterday, they have not disclosed how many seats are being made available at each venue.

By contrast, more than 90 per cent of tickets have been sold for 13 sports, such as badminton and fencing, while more than 80 per cent have been sold for seven sports, including basketball, artistic gymnastics and volleyball, the organisers said.

A number of events have seen empty seats at the ongoing Games despite some being listed as “sold out” for general sales. The main reason is believed to be that invitational tickets and those sold to companies are not actually being used.

The opening ceremony, held last Saturday at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, was far from packed, and it was a similar story on Thursday when track-and-field events kicked off at the venue. — Bernama-Kyodo