The second phase of ticket sales for the 2008 Olympic Games will close on Sunday with more than 340, 000 people having booked over 2 million tickets, the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG) said on Monday.

 

"By 12:00 Monday we have received more than 340,000 orders, and about 90 percent of the orders were over the Internet and the rest through Bank of China branches," BOCOG said in a statement posted on its website.

 

BOCOG also received bookings for 23,000 tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Paralympic Games.

 

Orders were relatively centralized and rhythmic gymnastics, table tennis, diving, synchronized swimming and artistic gymnastics were already over-booked, according to the statement.

 

Tickets will be allocated by a random draw, but the date of the lottery has yet to be announced.

 

A total of 7 million tickets for the August 8-24 Games are available to the general public with nearly three quarters reserved for domestic sales.

 

The first batch of 1.6 million tickets were allocated by lottery earlier this year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2007)