By Xiang Bin and Ma Yujia
The fourth phase of the Beijing 2008 Olympic ticket sales to the general public was launched today, with 820,000 tickets on sale at different box office venues. This is the last chance to buy Olympic tickets. Reporters from China.org.cn were at Wukesong Culture and Sports Center - the Beijing Olympic Basketball venue - to witness the heat of the Olympic ticket sales.
At 9:20 AM there was already a long queue for tickets. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the back of the line to the box office in the entrance to the venue.
"The start of the ticket sales has been delayed because of the number of people gathering here, and the whole thing creates an impression of disorder," said a volunteer.
As the number of arrivals increased, reporters saw more and more policemen appearing in an attempt to maintain order. Policemen and security guards had already formed a "wall" to separate the people inside from those outside. Those inside had a better chance of getting tickets - they had been waiting here since yesterday.
