Last of missing World Cup tickets arrive in Japan

TOKYO - The last batch of 100,000 delayed World Cup tickets arrived in Japan today, less than a week before the soccer tournament starts, after a last-minute panic over whether they would be ready in time.

"It appears they have all arrived, but we have not been able to check them all yet," said a spokesman for Japanese organisers, JAWOC.

The tickets will be delivered to fans' houses by express courier service by May 27, the organisers said.

JAWOC had been inundated with telephone calls from worried supporters as all the tickets were initially expected to have been delivered by mid-May.

It had been forced to consider handing out the tickets in person at the stadium gates for early first-round matches.

The tickets were produced by British company Byrom Inc, who said printing had been delayed by the late arrival of ticketing data from around the world.

JAWOC said the question of demanding compensation from Byrom had not yet been considered.

"Our first priority is to get all the tickets delivered," the spokesman said.

- REUTERS

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