Unprecedented demand for accreditations leaves IOA in a fix

Requests have been pouring in from politicians, bureaucrats, officials of various sports federations who want to be in London during the multi-sport mega event which starts on July 27.

"It is a very tight situation. It is just not possible to fulfill the demands of all the ministers, bureaucrats and sports officials. The accreditations are not in our hands and tickets are very expensive," an IOA official said.

Another senior official said that London Games organisers were acting tough with all the NOCs and not prepared to make any exception for any country.

"They are refusing to play favorite to any particular NOC," he said.

The sports ministry, sources said, had asked for around 130 tickets for the Games from IOA. In return, it received only 41 from the IOA, which said it was hard pressed to release more tickets.

Besides the demand for tickets from public, there is also pressure from chief ministers and ministers of various states along with their delegations to provide them accreditations and tickets for which they are willing to pay.

"To add to the IOA's woes is (that) sports ministry has directed to all those officials and politicians interested to watch the Games that they should contact IOA for tickets," a source said.

Sources said that the "IOA is in no position to entertain their demands as the London Organising Committee for the Olympics Games (LOGOC) has set up a very stringent criterion for giving accreditations to the officials of National Olympic Committees (NOC)". MORE