(ATR) The centerpiece venue of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics is ready to go.
Construction work on the new National Stadium has been completed, according to the Japan Sports Council.
The 60,000-seat stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as athletics and soccer during the Summer Games, cost about $1.4 billion. Construction began in December of 2016, about 14 months later than planned after a public outcry over the costs associated with the original design.
The delay meant that the venue could not host matches for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which ended earlier this month.
Instead, the Emperor’s Cup soccer final on Jan. 1 will be the inaugural sporting event to be held at the new stadium. Before then, the stadium will be officially turned over to the Japan Sports Council on Nov. 30 after a final inspection. The official unveiling is set for Dec. 21.
The official test events at the stadium are the 2020 Japan Para Athletics Championships on May 2-3 and the Tokyo Challenge Track Meet from May 5-6.
The Olympics will run from July 24 to Aug. 9 followed by the Paralympics from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6.
Second Domestic Ticket Lottery Deadline Looms
Japanese residents have until Nov. 26 to apply for Olympic tickets under the second and final lottery, which began on Nov. 13.
This lottery is the final chance for ticket sales reserved for the Japanese market. Once these sales are completed, unsold seats will make their way to overseas markets.
A maximum number of 18 tickets can be purchased in this round, which is the last ticketing phase exclusively reserved for residents of Japan. It is the first time that tickets are available for the boxing competition.
Tokyo 2020 says that tickets for the triathlon, marathon swimming and equestrian eventing cross-country events are unavailable as the competition schedule is still under consideration.
The lottery results will be announced on Dec. 18.
Written by Gerard Farek
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