Refunds sought for 18% of tickets sold in Japan, organisers say

[December 03, 2020]    TOKYO (Reuters) - Refund requests have been made for around 18% of the tickets sold in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, the organising committee said on Thursday.

Bystanders watch as giant Olympic rings are reinstalled at the waterfront area at Odaiba Marine Park, after they were temporarily taken down in August for maintenance amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tokyo, Japan December 1, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Ticket holders in Japan were given the chance to ask for refunds because of the one-year postponement to the Games caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers said in a press release that refunds for roughly 810,000 tickets had been requested, out of a total of 4.45 million initially sold during the domestic lottery.

Ticket holders were able to make refund applications in November, and the refunds will start being made later this month.

"While we plan to resell the refunded tickets, how and when they will be resold has not yet been decided," the organisers said.

Tickets that have already been purchased for the Tokyo Olympics, now scheduled to be held next year, will remain valid for rescheduled events.

Organisers have yet to say whether spectators will be allowed into venues during the Games and have said a decision will be made on this "in the spring".

(Reporting by Jack Tarrant; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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