Kro's Nest, Vics and Mix closed for Brazil vs. Ghana Match

In preparation for this weekend's play off between Brazil and Ghana for the final berth in the Women's Football Tournament at the Beijing Olympics, all venues inside the North Gate of the Workers' Stadium have been forced to close for security reasons. The venues affected are Kro's Nest, Vics, Mix, and The Outback Steakhouse, all of which will be closed from April 14-21.

Tickets to the game range from 20-100 kuai and are available here and here. For details on the seating arrangements and how much closer a 100 kuai ticket is to the action than a 50 kuai ticket, click here. The match kicks off at 7.45pm on Saturday evening. For more details on the background to the match and how it came to be that Brazil is fighting it out with Ghana for a place at the Olympics click here. The money is on the Brazilians to win the match (they picked up fourth place at the Sydney Olympics and silver in 2004 and are currently positioned in 3rd place in the FIFA rankings) but Ghana, who're ranked 47 and hoping to make it into their first Olympics, are sure to put up a good fight.

Finally, although tickets to the synchronized swimming are now sold out, you can still pick up tickets to the walking event at the Bird's Nest, the Volleyball Tournament and an International Women's Basketball Tournament this weekend.

April 16-21
China Club Volleyball Tournament

Expect spikes, sets and smashes all the way at this Good Luck Beijing event. See this site for latest details. Tickets available here. RMB 10-70.
Daily 2-5.30pm (full schedule available here). Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium; Capital Indoor Stadium

Apr 18-19
2008 IAAF Race Walking Challenge

Catch slow-speed action at the first event to grace Beijing's flagship Olympic venue. Who said competitive walking was boring? See the official site or this report for more details. Tickets available on 400 8102 721 or through this site. RMB 50, 80.
Fri 9-11am and 3-5pm, Sat 7.30-11am. National Stadium

Apr 19-25
2008 Women's Basketball International Invitational Tournament

The ladies heat up the NBA-sponsored, state-of-the-art basketball arena in this Good Luck Beijing event. Forget the Olympics – it’s hoped this venue will provide the infrastructure and inspiration to help Chinese basketball become a global superpower. See www.basketball2008.org.cn/en for latest details. Wukesong Indoor Stadium.

Links and Sources
Footieblog: Image
tbjblog: Tickets to the first event at the Bird's Nest on sale