Parapan Am Games tickets go on sale while Pan Am Games tickets suspended
Some 350,000 tickets for the Pan Am Games have already been sold
Tickets go on sale today for the Parapan Am Games, which will bring more than 1,600 athletes from 28 countries to Ontario this summer.
Organizers say this year's Parapan Am Games will be the largest ever in terms of number of athletes, participating countries and disciplines.
All 15 sports will be qualifying events for next year's Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The Parapan Am Games will take place from Aug. 7 to 15, shortly after the Pan Am Games, which run from July 10 to 26.
Some 350,000 tickets for the Pan Am Games have already been sold and organizers say the opening ceremony is sold out, as are gold-medal games for some sports, such as men's baseball, men's soccer (which will be played in Hamilton, Ont.) and men's basketball.
Other events that have sold out available tickets for both preliminary and medal rounds:
- cycling BMX in Etobicoke
- whitewater canoe/kayak slalom in Minden
- track cycling in Milton
- equestrian jumping in Caledon
- water skiing and wakeboard in Toronto
Tickets for the Pan Am Games will go back on sale mid-April. Sales were suspended in early March to allow organizers to allocate seats for purchased tickets. In the meantime, Parapan Am Games tickets are available for sale.
Ticket sales are expected to bring in roughly $40 million, with sponsorships and government subsidies to help cover the rest of the Games' $2.5-billion price tag.
With files from The Canadian Press