Ticket sales for Gwangju swimming competition hit almost 90 pct of target: organizers

GWANGJU, July 1 (Yonhap) -- Ticket sales for the upcoming 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships have reached a cumulative 6.61 billion won (US$5.71 million), or 88 percent of the target of 7.5 billion won, the competition's organizers said Monday. The organizing committee for the July 12-28 swimming competition, to be held in the two southwestern cities of Gwangju and Yeosu, also said the number of tickets sold for the championships came to 286,000 as of Friday, accounting for 77 percent of the entire 369,000 available. Among the championships events, tickets for high diving and open water swimming -- two of the most popular events -- have been sold out, showing the highest ticket sales rate of 96 percent, with 6,200 of 6,500 tickets sold, the committee said. The high diving event will feature a 27-meter-high diving platform and a temporary water tank installed at a Chosun University soccer field. Audiences will be able to watch a dynamic diving competition against the backdrop of the Gwangju cityscape and the city's Mount Mudeung, as men and women jump from heights of 27 meters and 20 m, respectively, into a water tank that is 15 m in diameter and 6 m in depth. Other events -- artistic swimming, competitive swimming and diving -- have been showing higher ticket sales rates. Water polo, for which South Korea has won a berth as the hosting country, is expected to help increase ticket sales for the competition. Ticket purchases are available through the competition's website at https://tickets.gwangju2019.com/en/. namsh@yna.co.kr (END)