Portugal Colonial - Luck of the draw for first ticket sales for Paris Olympics

Those wishing to enter the draw have from this Thursday until January 31.

The successful applicants will be allocated 48-hour time slots between February 13 and March 15 to purchase their tickets.

Apart from the opening ceremony and the surfing -- which is being held in Tahiti -- they can select three sessions of any sport, subject to availability, and apply for up to six tickets per session.

Following that, phase two of the ticketing process will involve applicants entering a draw for single tickets from March till May next year.

Organisers said in a statement that "for the first time in Olympic history, all tickets will be sold exclusively on a single, centralised and digital platform which will be open to all fans at the same time".

Through that platform almost 10 million tickets will be on sale -- a million tickets will cost 24 euros ($25) and almost half will be priced at 50 euros or less.

"We really wish to make Paris 2024 the first Games Wide Open, and we are fully dedicated to bringing this concept to life," said Tony Estanguet, President of the Paris 2024 organising committee.

M.Gameiro--PC