L-G given first Games ticket, Sheila not invited

The montage of the closing ceremony of the Melbourne Games distinctly show Commonwealth Games Federation chief Micheal Fennell handing over the Commonwealth banner to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. But on Friday morning, when the Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi handed over the first Games ticket to Lieutenant-Governor, the chief minister was not present at the function. The Committee, in fact, did not invite her at all.

“I was not invited for the event and it is okay. I came to know about it through the papers,” Dikshit said. She added that she was not aware of the event.

“The L-G is a good enough representative of the Delhi government. Why is it necessary that we should invite the entourage for each event. For different events we invite different dignitaries. I do not think anybody should mind it,” a senior OC official said.

The launch function of the ticketing website and call centre facility, meanwhile, was held as scheduled on Friday at the Committee’s headquarters.

Urging people to participate in large numbers, L-G Tejendra Khanna said: “The Games will have a positive impact on the sporting culture. Delhiites will showcase India’s traditional hospitality and universal brotherhood to the guests visiting India.”

Kalmadi also thanked the Delhi government for waving off the entertainment tax. “The tickets are affordable and easily accessible. We hope that people will participate in large numbers to make the Games successful.”

Amid cheers Shera, the Games mascot, presented the first ticket to Tejendra Khanna and the second ticket to Mayor of Delhi Prithvi Raj Sawhney. The IRCTC managing director Rakesh Tandon and OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot also attended the event.

The tickets will be available in three phases. In Phase I, spectators will be provided with a confirmation voucher which will be exchanged for actual tickets from August 1. In Phase II, spectators will have actual tickets against every purchase. Phase III, which will begin just before the Games (October 1), will witness venue sales outlets also added to the sales channel.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) is the official ticketing agency for Delhi 2010 in collaboration with Broad Vision Systems and TicketPro.

Ticket to Games
Website: http://www.tickets.cwgdelhi2010.org

Call Centre number:
1800-200-1294

Ticket cost for events:
Rs 50 to Rs 1,000

Opening ceremony tickets:
Rs 1,000 Rs 50,000

Closing ceremony tickets:
Rs 750 to Rs 50,000