Coe Launches Prestige Pavilion; Olympic Picks in Hockey, Pentathlon, Tennis

Coe Launches Prestige Pavilion

LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe says that clients and customers of Prestige Ticketing will be "welcomed, warmed and charmed" at the company’s in-venue hospitality suite at London 2012.

Coe was speaking at the opening of the Prestige Pavilion on the Olympic Park on Monday afternoon, a mere Bolt sprint away from the Olympic Stadium.

Prestige Ticketing’s program is the first time that official onsite and in-venue hospitality is available for purchase – and not just the preserve of sponsors – at an Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Coe was on hand Monday to cut the ribbon on the new structure.

"This is the first time we’ve got this type of in-venue hospitality," he said. "When you run through the extraordinary iconic venues – we are about 100m from the start of the 100m, it really doesn’t get better than that."

"We’re looking forward to these Games – this is the first time this has taken place at a summer or winter Olympic Games. I’m delighted to be here and delighted to be on an Olympic Park that is taking such extraordinary shape.

"I know that our clients and customers want to be welcomed, warmed and charmed throughout the whole process and I know that will take place here. I’ll be in here maybe for the occasional cup of tea."

Prestige Ticketing was originally allocated approximately 80,000 tickets – equivalent to about one percent of the total ticket allocation. Despite reports last month that he still had 20,000 tickets to sell, CEO Andrew Burton maintained that many had been sold since then.

"This is the biggest hospitality program ever delivered at a major sporting event," he said. "With just 39 days to go until the start of the Games, we have now sold 90 percent of our full ticket allocation."

Prestige will now try to sell the remaining tickets through its new partnership with online ticketing site Ticketmaster, which allows them to sell their hospitality packages online to Olympics fans as well as corporations.

The price for the packages range from $775 all the way to $7,050, which includes tickets to events such as the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony, none gold medal athletics events and more.

"It’s very difficult to benchmark prices, as this is the first time you have an in-house venue for hospitality," Prestige chief operating officer Alan Gilpin said. "We feel the price is justified for the high demand of those packages."

Guests who visit the Prestige Pavilion on the Park – or the company’s other sites at Horse Guard’s Parade, Greenwich Park and Eton Dorney – will apparently experience the best of British cuisine.

Prestige Ticketing has teamed up with artisanal suppliers as well as local British farms and companies to create a unique British experience for their "prestigious" customers at the Games.

Australia Announces Men’s Hockey Team

A total of 16 hockey players will represent Australia in men’s hockey at the London Games.

"The team we’ve picked is the best guess we could make at the moment," coach Ric Charlesworth said. "We’ve got four or more athletes under injury clouds but I’m confident in the team we’ve picked and we’ve got a few weeks to prepare."

The team will be led by five-time World Player of the Year Jamie Dwyer.

Australia took gold in the Athens 2004 Olympics and won bronze in Beijing.

The hockey tournament will take place at the Riverbank Arena in Olympic Park.

Pentathletes Picked for London

The International Union of Modern Pentathlon has finalized the 36 men and 36 women who will compete at the Olympics.

"After a tough, long qualification we feel that the best athletes have been selected and will do the sport of Modern Pentathlon proud at these historic games," UIPM secretary general Joël Bouzou said in a statement.

"Among them are World #1's, World Champions and Olympic Champions, so the crowd will see the world's best Pentathletes in action at the 3 Olympic venues: Copper Box (Fencing), Aquatic Centre (Swimming) and Greenwich Park (Riding and Combined Event)."

India’s Tennis Picks Unclear

A messy situation atop Indian tennis could threaten the country’s Olympic medal chances.

According to a Reuters report, first Mahesh Bhupathi and now Rohan Bopanna refuse to break up their recent pairing in order to partner with Leander Paes, who is ranked seventh in the world in men’s doubles and receives direct entry into the Games as a result.

"Since the beginning of the year, I have partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi towards playing together as a team at the Olympics," Bopanna said in a statement.

"Having played alongside Leander Paes only twice during my career, I recognise that as a team we are underprepared for the demands of the Olympics and ... I could not accept the All India Tennis Association's offer that we play together."

Bhupathi and Paes, meanwhile, are not on speaking terms after splitting last year for the second time since winning three Grand Slam titles together in the late 1990s and earning the nickname "Indian Express".

Also unclear is which team India will field for mixed doubles, an event making its return to the Olympic program in London after an 88-year absence.

"Hidden question is on who should pair Sania?" sports minister Ajay Maken tweeted Monday in reference to Sania Mirza, ranked 12th in the world in women’s doubles after capturing the mixed title at the French Open with Bhupathi earlier this month.

That winning duo is yet to be confirmed for London 2012, according to the Reuters report.

Westfield, Aussie NOC Partner

The Australian Olympic Committee announced it will partner with Westfield Stratford City as the team’s "home away from home."

A statement from the AOC says Westfield will "work closely with the AOC to provide on-site athlete support facilities for the Team's requirements outside of the Olympic Village." Westfield Stratford City is just 200 meters from London Olympic Park.

An official ceremony for the partnership is scheduled for July 26.

"As a global business with an Australian heritage, partnering with the AOC was a natural fit and Westfield Stratford City – at the gateway to Olympic Park – will truly be a home-away-from-home from the Australian Team," Westfield Group chairman Frank Lowy said.

Reported in London by Christian Radnedge and in Atlanta by Hannah Reid.

20 Years at #1: