09 July 2011

Athletes' Azkals tickets end up in black market

Manila, Philippines - The Philippine Sports Commission is looking into reports that some members of the national pool who were given free tickets to the Azkals match last Sunday chose to sell the tickets in the black market.

“They were offered tickets to the match being athletes. But some of these tickets were sold in the black market at a higher price,” PSC chairman Richie Garcia said yesterday.

He said there were reports on the day of the match that tickets for the bleachers section with a face value of P200 and P300 were sold at P700 apiece.

“Binigyan na, binenta pa (Tickets were given but they sold them),” said the PSC chief.

He said the PSC gave away 140 free tickets to the athletes and another 100 to PSC employees.

Garcia said the athletes staying in the perimeter of the Rizal Memorial Stadium were asked to vacate their quarters on the day of the match, and were offered free tickets to the match.

Some of the athletes resented being asked to vacate their quarters just because of the football match, but Garcia said it was done for the good of everyone.

“It was also done for security reasons because the entrance to their quarters was through the stadium itself. There was a possibility that President Aquino would come, and we made sure all points are secured,” he said.

“All we asked was a little understanding. So, we offered them free tickets. It really didn’t look good that some of them were sold,” Garcia said.

Garcia said as members of the national pool, athletes and coaches should observe discipline and follow certain rules.

“It was not a life and death situation for them to vacate their quarters for a day. We just asked for a small favor. If they want things according to book, we can slap them according to the book,” he added.

To make sure it doesn’t happen again, the athletes won’t be given free tickets for the next Azkals match against Kuwait on July 28.

“Next time we will not give them tickets. They will only use their IDs to get in,” said Garcia.


Philstar

4 comments:

  1. bastards! slap them, literally slap them with books as thick as the NY city telephone books.

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  2. inosentelangangnagtataka9 July 2011 at 22:16

    sus normal lang yan

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  3. It is because they do not have money. They are poor athletes.

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  4. If they made a few pesos good for them. The PFF is not even supplying enough blankets, pillows or food. Coach Weiss says their living conditions are pitiful.

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