BEIJING, CHINA - CHINESE people on Monday were expected to rush to secure a seat at one of the many competitions of the Olympic Games as the third and final stage of pre-Games domestic ticket sales kicked off.

From Monday morning to June 9, 1.38 million tickets for 17 Olympic disciplines will be available for the Chinese on a first-come, first-served basis via the Internet and at some outlets of Bank of China, one of the Games' sponsors.

The sale comes amid controversy over the sale of tickets to people overseas, as a ticket shortage has meant that parents or family members of some competitors may not be able to see them take part in the Olympic Games.

Beijing has allocated around 75 per cent of the seven million tickets available for the Games to its vast domestic audience, with the rest going overseas.

The first stage of domestic sales was held from April to June last year, selling out the domestic share of opening and closing ceremony tickets as well as some 1.6 million competition tickets by lottery.

A second phase, on a first-come, first-served basis, was launched in October but had to be suspended when excessive demand crashed the computer sales system.

Sales resumed in December with 1.8 million tickets available on a lottery basis.

In the final stage of sales, 20,000 tickets will be allocated to disabled people, the state-controlled central television channel reported. -- AFP