BUSAN (South Korea), Sept 24: Asian Games organizers were scrambling Tuesday to jump-start sluggish ticket sales with 90 percent unsold just days before the opening ceremony.

Organizers have been forced to seek help from government officials, schools, news media and social organizations in a publicity campaign aimed at boosting awareness of Asia’s biggest sporting carnival.

“We are suffering from a post-World Cup syndrome. Koreans, who have already been to the feast of the World Cup, do not care much for the Asian Games,” said Um Doo-Wan, director of the ticket sales department of the organizing committee.

“Geographic distances between Seoul and Busan and between downtown Busan and Asiad venues also thwart many people to come to the Games,” Um said.

It takes five hours by train to get to Busan from Seoul.

An average 11 percent of a total of 2.7 million tickets have so far been sold, with large chunks of the sales for the football finals and opening ceremony.

Some 80 percent of tickets for the opening ceremony have been booked or sold while all tickets for the football final and semifinals have been allocated or sold.

Tickets for football matches involving South Korea, China and Japan have also been popular.

However, sales for less popular events are sagging. Some events have sold just one or two percent of tickets on offer. Ninety percent of tickets for the closing ceremony are still up for grabs.

In a bid to avoid empty terraces at the closing ceremony, the organizers are giving away free tickets for the football final for spectators who buy premium tickets for the closing ceremony, Um said.—AFP