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Brits call for IOC Games ticket overhaul

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Brits call for IOC Games ticket overhaul

3News NZ

President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games (AAP)

President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games (AAP)

The British Olympic Association have called on the International Olympic Committee to completely revamp their ticketing policy for future Games.

London 2012 has become the latest Olympics to be plagued by empty seats in sold-out events, leading to criticism of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

BOA chairman Lord Moynihan insisted on Tuesday it was "time to stop the blame game", urging the IOC to learn from a problem he said had also dogged the previous three Games in Sydney, Athens and Beijing.

British sports fans have been infuriated to see so many empty seats at venues when they have been unable to obtain tickets.

Organisers have attributed many of the empty seats to unused tickets supplied to the Olympic "family" - national Olympic bodies, sporting federations, sponsors, officials and athletes.

"It's time to stop the blame game and also to recognise that this is such a major and complex issue," Moynihan said.

"Moving forwards, this is an issue that I hope the IOC will take a lead on.

"This is an opportunity for the IOC to put in place an overall ticketing policy that can be improved at each Games.

"This requires huge investment. We're not talking 100-200 million (pounds).

"The IOC have now got to take the lead and make sure the investment is in place for a state-of-the-art ticketing policy.

"It is our view that LOCOG are working exceptionally hard to try to sort out as many of the challenges associated with ticketing as possible.

"It's so important for the host country, the host city, to get this right."

The BOA have yet to raise the issue with the IOC but are planning to do so at their post-Olympics debrief.

NZN

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