Ticket sales for the National Games will be carried out in phases, with the first batch available from the the end of this month, organisers announced on Wednesday.

Hong Kong will co-host its first National Games this November, alongside Guangdong and Macau, staging eight competition events.

At a joint press conference held by the three hosting regions in Guangzhou, officials said the official ticketing platform has been launched.

Organisers said the initial sales phase will begin on August 28, offering tickets for 17 events, including basketball, gymnastics and shooting.

They said over five million tickets will be available for most competitive and mass participation events, with prices ranging from 30 to 800 yuan across nine tiers.

Yeung Tak-keung, Head of the National Games Coordination Office in Hong Kong, said tickets for four of the eight events hosted in the SAR - beach volleyball, men's handball, men's U22 basketball and rugby sevens - will be included in this first sales phase.

He said the organising committee considered multiple factors when setting ticket prices, including the popularity of each event.

For competitions where Hong Kong is fully responsible as host, such as rugby sevens and beach volleyball, the team referenced previous National Games ticket prices.

However, for events where the SAR is only hosting specific matches, like handball and basketball, consistent pricing with Guangdong and Macau was essential, Yeung said.

"Our ticket prices are primarily divided between outdoor and indoor events. For outdoor venues, ticket prices range from 50 to 200 yuan, while indoor event prices range from 50 to 500 yuan, with preliminary rounds generally being cheaper and prices increasing for semifinals and finals," he said.

"Therefore, this pricing strategy considers both the event types and whether the venues are outdoor or indoor, while also ensuring consistency with Guangdong and Macau."

Yeung said spectators can choose between full-day or half-day tickets, and must register using their real names on the official platform to purchase tickets.

He said valid identification recognised by the relevant hosting region must also be presented for verification at the event venue.

While ticket transfers are possible if necessary, Yeung stressed that the real-name registration system is designed to prevent scalping.

"Tickets purchased online or offline will be received before the event. For tickets bought online in Hong Kong, name transfers must be done 24 hours in advance. For offline tickets, name transfers must be requested seven days prior," he said.

"Therefore, there will not be a situation where name transfers can be done on-site. Additionally, it is not allowed for another person to enter after ticket verification, this situation will not happen."

Yeung added that organisers currently anticipate an equal distribution of online and offline ticket sales but will adjust this based on actual demand, to ensure availability meets audience needs.

He also said that tickets for the remaining four events will be available in phases in late September and early October.