Hong Kong snooker boss defends high prices to watch O’Sullivan, Williams, says organisers want to deter scalpers
- Cheapest ticket to attend Hong Kong Snooker All-Star Challenge in March set at HK$880, with most expensive costing HK$3,380
- Exhibition event is being organised by Beyond Borders Sports Academy, with firm saying fans ‘can afford’ to pay more
The organisers of the Hong Kong Snooker All-Star Challenge have defended charging almost HK$1,000 for the cheapest ticket to March’s exhibition event, saying they had set high prices to deter the city’s scalpers.
Officials pointed to the need to make a profit, and also cited the government’s call for the development of the sports industry in Hong Kong as their reason for charging between HK$880 (US$112) and HK$3,380 (US$432).
Gentle Hui, the executive president of organisers Beyond Borders Sports Academy, declined to reveal the cost of hosting the two-day event, but said the expense was “well worth” it to bring a host of international snooker stars, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and Mark Williams, to Hong Kong.
“We don’t just want to cover the cost because this can only be a sustainable event only if we can commercialise it,” he said. “It won’t last long if we lose money and then just go get funding from the government and the sponsors.
“We as the sports sector also want to commercialise events and be self-sufficient, instead of asking for funding all the time.”
Tickets for the Hong Kong Masters in 2017 and 2022 ranged from HK$100 to HK$580, but Hui said the increase in cost for the exhibition at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai was “not beyond” what fans could afford.
