LOCOG defends the auction of London 2012 Olympic Games torches and other items
The London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games has come under criticism for putting the Olympic torches carried by famous celebrities on auction. These torches have been made available on the auction site of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The former commercial director of the International Olympic Committee, Michael Payne has spoken against the auctioning venture of the LOCOG and called it “demeaning”. The criticism received by the LOCOG on its auctioning measure has come largely due to the
fact that it seems as another attempt to commercialise the spirit of the Olympic Games and damage the sporting air that the London 2012 Olympics should be creating amongst its fans both within and out of the country.
The total number of torches that LOCOG aims to sell is estimated to be 1000, as was announced by LOCOG itself. Among the torches to be sold, is the torch that was carried by football star David Beckham. It is not only the torches that will go on sale as
other items of prominent Olympic athletes have also been made available. These include the relay of the famous athlete, Usain Bolt.
As explained by the LOCOG, the auctioning off of Olympic torches and other special items is not a ploy to gather more revenue or exploit the fans; rather, it is a necessary measure that needed to be taken in order to reduce the costs of the London Olympic
Games that are scheduled to start from July 27. The total cost of staging the Olympic Games in the city of London for the third time in its history is estimated to be around £2 billion.
Sebastian Coe, who is the chairman of LOCOG, sided with the auction venture by commenting on the matter in the following manner while talking to The Associated Press, “My instinct on this is we've done lots of things with this torch which have been different.
I think we've engaged with communities in an extraordinary way. Some of the things come with a cost. We are, where we possibly can, trying to cover our costs.”
Not all the torches that will be put up on auction belong to the celebrities. There are a total of 8000 torch bearers that have the task of taking the Olympic torch around Great Britain and Ireland. These torch bearers have the option of buying the torches,
which will be sold at a price of 199 pounds while their actual cost is 500 pounds. Those torches which will not be bought by the torch bearers will go on the auction site as well.
Up till this point, a total of 11 people have agreed to donate their torch to LOCOG for the purpose of the auction.
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