Limited complimentary tickets for Asian Cup Qualifiers sold out in minutes

The AIFF had only released 20,000 tickets fearing low turnout and little interest.

Often in life things turn out exactly the opposite of what you anticipate them to be. Take for example the tickets for the forthcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kolkata. Fearing a low turnout and to save a rent fee of Rs 16 lakh per day, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) decided to not sell tickets to the general public for the Qualifiers. Instead, about 20,000 complimentary tickets were issued. Tickets, as announced by the AIFF earlier, went online on BookMyShow (BMS) on June 4 (Saturday) and were sold out within 3-5 minutes.

The AIFF had announced that all tickets for the opening matchday (June 8) will go online on Saturday from 11 am onwards, while tickets will also be available offline on June 7.

To the dismay of many interested fans, tickets initially were not available on BMS as announced. When eventually they became available, tickets were sold out within the opening five minutes, leaving many feeling upset and let down by the football body.

Surprisingly, only a limited number of tickets were issued as the organisers allegedly feared a sparse crowd and little response from the fans for the matches.

A former AIFF official was quoted saying by the Indian Express that he reckons not more than 10,000 fans will turn up. Why? Since India are playing lower-ranked oppositions. “Look at the teams playing and their rankings. Do you think fans will throng the stadium? I don’t see more than 10,000 spectators turning up,” the official said.

Cambodia (171), Hong Kong (147) and Afghanistan (150) are some distance behind India's ranking of 106 in the FIFA charts.

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Excitement among fans players

With India hosting the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Group D matches, the Blue Tigers will be playing at home in front of the fans for the first time in over three years. Predictably, there is excitement among fans and players alike. The former are eager to watch their national team play live at the venue — the latter desperate for home support after three years of the bio-bubble and playing in empty stadiums away from home.

"Whenever I have worn the national team jersey, it’s always been genuine support and that’s what I am expecting even this time. Football fans in Kolkata will never fail you," said Sunil Chhetri to the AIFF. Days earlier Liston Colaco and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu echoed the same sentiments.

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Chhetri even told the Indian Express, "I was expecting was 30,000 fans...If in a stadium of almost 90,000, only 10,000-15,000 people turn up, then what’s the point of having home advantage?"

He, however, will feel let down as have several fans with the limited complimentary tickets (20,000) sold out in minutes. There has also been little to no promotion ahead of the country's first men's football competition at home since the World Cup Qualifiers in 2019.

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Limited tickets leave fans confused

Fans were left puzzled by the AIFF's decision to release only a limited number of tickets, which were sold out in minutes. Many took to social media to question and criticize the move.

A Twitter user revealed that he is travelling from Chicago to catch the action live at the VYBK. Unfortunately, tickets were already sold out before he could get one. Several other fans showed their frustration at the lack of tickets. Reportedly, tickets were made available on BMS for the second time in the afternoon, but were once again sold out, leaving many irritated and helpless.

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AIFF Director of Competitions, Anil Kamath, revealed that the AIFF are only giving away 20,000 complimentary tickets. “The Bengal government has issued instructions that all tickets should be free. See, printing tickets is not an issue but how to distribute them, whom to distribute to is an issue.

"Yes, they (state government) are giving (us) the stadium free and that’s why tickets (for the matches) have to be free. But we are giving 20,000 tickets, not a very small number,” Kamath said.

What has not been cleared is if the complimentary tickets include those that will be handed out to different state associations, government offices, clubs and administrators.

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