Act now! TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Ticket Window Closing March 9

Fans encouraged to buy tickets now as best seats are going fast
Pan Am ticket sales will temporarily close until mid-April

TORONTO, Mar. 2, 2015 /CNW/ - Ticket sales for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games will temporarily close for six weeks beginning Monday, March 9 after a robust selling period that saw spectators snap up all available tickets for popular events including the Opening Ceremony, men's basketball and soccer gold medal finals, and track cycling.

With Canada aiming to finish among the top two nations in the medal count, now is the time to buy your tickets before they run out and you miss out on the chance to see Canadian athletes make history in these home Games.

"Events like the Pan Am Games are special in the life of all athletes," said Canadian track and field legend Donovan Bailey, a five-time world and Olympic champion who had some of his earliest success at the Pan Am Games and is thrilled to see the Games coming to the region where he grew up.

"I am particularly excited for the Canadian athletes competing in the TORONTO 2015 Games this year, because the rare opportunity of being in front of a roaring home crowd is so motivating, making them feel that all the training and preparation are worth it."

Although nearly 300,000 tickets have sold so far, great tickets still remain, including Closing Ceremony, and popular events such as track and field, swimming and rugby —  but they are going fast!  So don't delay.

To help spectators choose what must-see events tickets to purchase, schedules for team sports including basketball and today for field hockey have been released. The Canadian field hockey team hope to beat powerhouses in the sport including Argentina, as the winning men and women's teams at the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games will qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Other TO2015 highlights include:

• Today TO2015 officially confirms the football sessions in which Team Canada will play. The Canadian women's team will be part of Group B and will play July 11 (FB002), July 15 (FB006) and July 19 (FB010). The Canadian men's team will play in Group A on July 12 (FB003), July 16 (FB007) and July 20 (FB011). Tickets start at $20 and spectators can see two games for the price of one.
• Canada's men's and women's rugby sevens teams will play in every session during a thrilling two day competition that will take place during the first weekend of the games.
• Major league baseball confirms availability of top minor league players.
• Natalie Coughlin, one of the top US swimmers of all time, confirms she'll be leading the way for a top US swim team in the pool this July.

Coming soon are schedules for the other team sports including:  water polo, baseball, handball, beach volleyball and football. Keep checking the link here as the schedules will be posted online as they become available at TORONTO2015.ORG/schedule.

"I think that it would be a very proud and exciting feeling to be able to play in front of our home crowd for the Pan Am Games. It will make for a wonderful opportunity to showcase and introduce our sport to new households across the country and beyond," said Kelly Russell, Canadian rugby player. "We receive so much support from our family and friends, yet a lot of them have never seen us play in person so that will be a special moment for both us and them."

This round of Pan Am ticket sales will close on March 9 and will reopen in mid-April.  In its place, the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) will open ticket sales — for the very first time — for the Parapan Am Games at TORONTO2015.org/tickets, starting on March 23. All tickets to both the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games will be on sale by mid-April.

The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games ticket program is designed to be affordable and accessible for everyone by offering:

Affordable pricing: Tickets start at just $20, with 75 per cent of tickets priced $45 and under.

Half-price tickets for persons under 16 years of age, or 65 and over: Tickets will be offered at a 50 per cent discount — some tickets will start at $10. The number of discounted tickets is limited, so buy early.

Integrated tickets: Every event ticket will allow the holder to access transit on the day of the event.

Easy options for buying: Tickets can be purchased online at TORONTO2015.org/tickets or at 1.855.726.2015 and internationally at 1.949.333.4824.

About TO2015
The TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10–26 and the Parapan American Games August 7–15. The TORONTO 2015 Games are funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, as well as Lead Partner CIBC and other partners and sponsors.

The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) is tasked with managing and delivering the Games. It is working to bring some of the world's best athletes and artists to the city of Toronto and Greater Golden Horseshoe region, giving Ontarians a unique chance to be part of the action, and making the region a hub for sport.

 For more information about the Games, please visit TORONTO2015.org or follow @TO2015, @TO2015_fr (French) or @TO2015_es (Spanish).

SOURCE Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games