The organizers faced growing pressure to act. The former Olympics minister, Tessa Jowell, called for more tickets to be handed out to soldiers, school children and teachers "to ensure that every single available ticket is offered to somebody who will use it". Lord Moynihan, the British Olympic Association chairman, suggested a "30-minute rule" for non-attendees, with empty seats to be filled by home fans. He said organizers "owe it to the British sporting public to give them an opportunity to attend one of the most historic sporting events of their lives".
Coe dismissed the idea. On Sunday morning there were an estimated 2,000 empty seats at the basketball match between Nigeria and Tunisia with 70% of a section allocated to sponsors, Olympic officials and athletic federations, vacant. More than 300 seats at the morning's gymnastics were also unfilled and around 2,500 were empty during the heats at the Aquatics Centre. Other venues were close to full – including for table tennis, judo and boxing.
The Ministry of Defense said the troops would be off duty and take up of the seats would be voluntary. Up to 150 local school children and school teachers who are already accredited to the Olympic Park will also be deployed under a pre-existing scheme meant to fill vacant seats in accredited areas.
"It's completely wrong to say this is a sponsors issue," said Mark Adams, spokesman for the IOC. Sponsors Visa, Coca Cola and McDonalds said the vast majority of their tickets were being used. As well as inviting troops, Locog said it had taken 900 gymnastics tickets from allocations to accredited individuals and sold them to the public. Excluding the football, between 100,000 and 120,000 Olympic tickets remain available, it said. A Wimbledon-style returns system, allowing people already on the Olympic Park to pick up tickets to the last parts of sessions of basketball, hockey, handball and water polo has also been launched. Stewards will ask people leaving venues after the first match of a two-match session if they are willing to let someone use their ticket for the second game. The ticket will be scanned and reissued at box offices by the Orbit, the hockey arena and velodrome. Childrens' tickets cost £1 and adults £5. Around 280 were sold on Saturday.
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