GCA to sell only 12,000 tickets for Apr 3 ODI in Goa 07 Feb 2006 - UNI Panaji: The Goa Cricket Association (GCA) has decided to sell only 12,000 tickets for the second tie between India and England one-day international (ODI) to be played at Nehru stadium Fatorda here on April three.
Talking to reporters here last night, GCA secretary Chetan Desai who is also chairman of the organising commiteee, said the decision was taken following the ticketgate controversy in April 2002 during the India-Australia decider, when many spectators with bogus tickets had entered the stadium. This time, the tickets will not be sold through any agent or contractor but through banks, he added. He said though the stadium capacity is of 27,000, the GCA had been forced to reduce it to around 24,000 as some seats were reserved for the affiliated units, associate members, volunteers and other associations as per the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) protoccol. Besides the BCCI condition, the pitch and stadium renovation works will start once the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) hands over the stadium to them on February 10. Therefore, seating capacity had been reduced, he noted. He said in 2002, there were around 90 clubs but now 20 more clubs have been granted affiliation. "We have decided to allot passes to all these clubs. Besides, the SAG has asked for 1,000 passes." Mr Desai said, "To check the duplication, we will do the bar coding on the tickets as well as the seats will be numbered." The ticket bar coding exercise will facilitate the GCA to put ticket holders under scanner to prove the authenticity of the tickets at more than four places, he added. He said the upcoming tie looks set to be money spinner for the GCA with the in-stadia advertising fetching the assocation Rs one crore. The tenders for which were opned yesterday at the GCA board meeting, went to Delhi's 21st century media. Mr Narvekar, who is also State Health Minister and BCCI vice president, said former Indian Test player Dilip Sardesai will be honoured on the day of the match.
