The thirtieth Summer Olympic Games officially opened this afternoon and there was an ideal begin for Team GB because the women's soccer team beat New Zealand 1-0.
But organsiers were forced to create a grovelling apology to the North Korean team who refused to start out theIR match against Colombia when the South Korean flag was displayed by mistake.
In the British match a free-kick from Steph Houghton once sixty five minutes split the perimeters at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, though the bottom was solely half-full for Britain's historic debut within the competition.
Talking regarding the mix-up with the North Korean flag organisers said: 'Today before the women's soccer match at Hampden Park, the South Korean flag was shown on an enormous screen video package rather than the North Korean flag.
'Clearly that's an error. we are going to apologize to the team and also the National Olympic Committee and steps are going to be taken to make sure this doesn't happen once more.'
The match against Colombia was delayed over an hour and was scheduled to start out shortly.
Despite all the organisers' claims that the Olympics would sell-out, Team GB commenced the London Games in front of swathes of empty seats.
But those in attendance saw a winning begin, as Houghton's excellent 25-yard free-kick proved the distinction in an exceedingly tightly-fought match.
Officially, an estimated forty,000 tickets had been sold - which might be a record for a women's soccer international in Britain - however there have been huge swathes of empty seats when the match began as fans drifted into the stadium.
Those that did arrive early would not are too impressed by a goalless first-half, however nice Britain gained the higher hand once half-time.
As of yesterday, 36,200 tickets had been sold prior to - just enough to fill 2 tiers of the seventy four,000-capacity stadium - with some thousand expected to select up £20 seats on the gate to observe Hope Powell's team.
The unfilled seats would have come back as a disappointment for Games organiser Lord Coe, who was in Cardiff to officially declare the Olympics open.
He said: 'We are prepared, the state is prepared - let the Games begin.
'It has been an extended journey however I’m convinced these games can raise the state and convey the country along.
'We’ve proved the doubters wrong by obtaining everything prepared on time and we’re wanting forward to creating these Olympics a large success.
'When I arrived in Cardiff I felt I had arrived in an exceedinglyn Olympic town - this can be the beginning of the Games in a fantastic setting.
'We haven’t left any stone unturned in giving the athletes the platform on that to perform.'
Millennium Stadium general manager Gerry Toms stressed the historic nature of the occasion as a Team GB women's soccer team played within the Olympics for the primary time.
He said: 'There was some criticism that price tag sales were slow.
'But a traditional women’s soccer game would attract regarding vi,000-8,000 and that we are near forty,000.
'Clearly there's an interest within the soccer and also the Olympics. folks that aren't normally soccer fans wish to be ready to say that they were there.'
Meanwhile, 41,000 are going to be at Hampden Park in Glasgow this evening for a women's soccer double-header of the u. s. v France and North Korea v Columbia.
While this can fill most of the fifty two,000-seater Scottish national stadium, only 6,500 of the tickets have truly been sold.
The remainder are given away to charities, youth teams and sports clubs.
Organisers said overall eighty,000 free tickets had been distributed for Hampden's eight Olympic matches.
Two different games are going to be played these days at the town of Coventry Stadium, that holds thirty two,500.
The Millennium stadium had been cleaned and freshly painted for the occasion, the acquainted red of the Welsh national rugby and soccer groups replaced by purple Olympic paraphernalia.
Cardiff likes to shout regarding its sporting pedigree, and rightly therefore. Team GB boast a record variety of Welsh athletes — thirty (which beats the twenty seven who appeared in 1908) — together with 2 captains: Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs and four hundred metres hurdles world champion Dai Greene.
A giant set of Olympic rings, measuring 18m x 8m (59ft x 26ft), has been outside the town Hall since late April. Huge crowds cheered the Olympic torch when it visited Cardiff in could.
About £160,000 of taxpayers’ cash has been spent on ‘cleansing and animating’ the town centre, that is prettily wearing bunting to mark the eleven soccer matches it'll hold over future sixteen days.
But this hasn't translated into price tag sales. Tickets are going to be offered on the gate these days, beginning at £20 with below 16s paying their age.
The ease of catching a train from London conjointly suggests that the town has seen solely a modest rise in hotel bookings.
But organsiers were forced to create a grovelling apology to the North Korean team who refused to start out theIR match against Colombia when the South Korean flag was displayed by mistake.
In the British match a free-kick from Steph Houghton once sixty five minutes split the perimeters at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, though the bottom was solely half-full for Britain's historic debut within the competition.
Talking regarding the mix-up with the North Korean flag organisers said: 'Today before the women's soccer match at Hampden Park, the South Korean flag was shown on an enormous screen video package rather than the North Korean flag.
'Clearly that's an error. we are going to apologize to the team and also the National Olympic Committee and steps are going to be taken to make sure this doesn't happen once more.'
The match against Colombia was delayed over an hour and was scheduled to start out shortly.
Despite all the organisers' claims that the Olympics would sell-out, Team GB commenced the London Games in front of swathes of empty seats.
But those in attendance saw a winning begin, as Houghton's excellent 25-yard free-kick proved the distinction in an exceedingly tightly-fought match.
Officially, an estimated forty,000 tickets had been sold - which might be a record for a women's soccer international in Britain - however there have been huge swathes of empty seats when the match began as fans drifted into the stadium.
Those that did arrive early would not are too impressed by a goalless first-half, however nice Britain gained the higher hand once half-time.
As of yesterday, 36,200 tickets had been sold prior to - just enough to fill 2 tiers of the seventy four,000-capacity stadium - with some thousand expected to select up £20 seats on the gate to observe Hope Powell's team.
The unfilled seats would have come back as a disappointment for Games organiser Lord Coe, who was in Cardiff to officially declare the Olympics open.
He said: 'We are prepared, the state is prepared - let the Games begin.
'It has been an extended journey however I’m convinced these games can raise the state and convey the country along.
'We’ve proved the doubters wrong by obtaining everything prepared on time and we’re wanting forward to creating these Olympics a large success.
'When I arrived in Cardiff I felt I had arrived in an exceedinglyn Olympic town - this can be the beginning of the Games in a fantastic setting.
'We haven’t left any stone unturned in giving the athletes the platform on that to perform.'
Millennium Stadium general manager Gerry Toms stressed the historic nature of the occasion as a Team GB women's soccer team played within the Olympics for the primary time.
He said: 'There was some criticism that price tag sales were slow.
'But a traditional women’s soccer game would attract regarding vi,000-8,000 and that we are near forty,000.
'Clearly there's an interest within the soccer and also the Olympics. folks that aren't normally soccer fans wish to be ready to say that they were there.'
Meanwhile, 41,000 are going to be at Hampden Park in Glasgow this evening for a women's soccer double-header of the u. s. v France and North Korea v Columbia.
While this can fill most of the fifty two,000-seater Scottish national stadium, only 6,500 of the tickets have truly been sold.
The remainder are given away to charities, youth teams and sports clubs.
Organisers said overall eighty,000 free tickets had been distributed for Hampden's eight Olympic matches.
Two different games are going to be played these days at the town of Coventry Stadium, that holds thirty two,500.
The Millennium stadium had been cleaned and freshly painted for the occasion, the acquainted red of the Welsh national rugby and soccer groups replaced by purple Olympic paraphernalia.
Cardiff likes to shout regarding its sporting pedigree, and rightly therefore. Team GB boast a record variety of Welsh athletes — thirty (which beats the twenty seven who appeared in 1908) — together with 2 captains: Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs and four hundred metres hurdles world champion Dai Greene.
A giant set of Olympic rings, measuring 18m x 8m (59ft x 26ft), has been outside the town Hall since late April. Huge crowds cheered the Olympic torch when it visited Cardiff in could.
About £160,000 of taxpayers’ cash has been spent on ‘cleansing and animating’ the town centre, that is prettily wearing bunting to mark the eleven soccer matches it'll hold over future sixteen days.
But this hasn't translated into price tag sales. Tickets are going to be offered on the gate these days, beginning at £20 with below 16s paying their age.
The ease of catching a train from London conjointly suggests that the town has seen solely a modest rise in hotel bookings.
No comments:
Post a Comment