Acting Director of Youth and Sport Hj Abd Malik Hj Mohammad (L) delivers his remarks as Royal Brunei Police Force ASP Hj Awang Termizi Dr Hj Awang Md Yussop Omar (R) looks on at the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy (HBT) Cup press conference. BT/Abdul Azim Kassim
The Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy (HBT) Cup tickets to be issued nationwide on August 7. BT/Md Asdeny Yakub
Tickets to Saturday's Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy (HBT) opening ceremony will be up for grabs tomorrow.
According to the Director of the Department of Youth and Sports and tournament chairperson Hj Abd Malik Hj Mohammad, 16,000 tickets for four main events - Saturday's opening ceremony, the two semi-final matches on August 20 and the final match on August 23 - will be made available to the public.
Tickets will not be required for any of the other matches. Defending champions Brunei will face Cambodia in its first match of the competition after the opening ceremony, with all four of the abovementioned games to be hosted at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas.
Limited to two per person, the tickets will be distributed at designated locations in all four districts from 8.30am onwards. The tickets will be distributed at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium (East & West gates) in Brunei-Muara, Mumong Sports Complex in Belait, Tutong Sports Complex in Tutong and Temburong Sports Complex in Temburong.
"A larger portion of these tickets will be available here (Brunei-Muara) to accommodate the district's denser population," said Hj Abd Malik at a briefing at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas yesterday.
For the opening match on Saturday, 3,000 tickets are also available to Cambodian supporters and can be collected at the National Hockey Stadium at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas tomorrow. Tickets for the two semi-finals on August 20 will be distributed at the same locations on August 19, while tickets for the final on August 23 will be available on August 21.
The tournament is organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports with the cooperation of the National Football Association Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) and will run from August 9 to 23. Hj Abd Malik said that the Sultanate's ASEAN neighbours and Timor Leste should already be making their way to the country today.
He highlighted that the HBT marks His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam's initiative to strengthen the ties between ASEAN nations. "Our preparation to host HBT's fifth installment shows our commitment and desire to meet His Majesty's desire for a peaceful region and the establishment of the ASEAN Community 2015," he stated.
The Director closed the briefing with the assurance that official invitations to the opening ceremony will be issued out as soon as possible by the Adat Istiadat Negara Department.
