School wins religious row over Olympic ticket allocation (From Times Series)

Hasmonean Primary School wins religious row with LOCOG over Olympic ticket allocation

5:30pm Monday 11th June 2012 in News By Chris Hewett

Jewish schoolchildren who were handed free Olympic tickets for events on a Saturday have had them swapped following a religious row with the games’ organisers.

Hasmonean Primary School, in Shirehall Lane, was delighted when its students were successful in the ballot for some of the 65,000 free Olympics and Paralympics tickets given to schools across London.

However, when it emerged the volleyball event they were given tickets to fell on a Saturday, a holy day for Jewish people, they politely asked games organisers LOCOG if they could swap them.

But the London 2012 organising committee initially refused and it was not until Barnet’s London Assembly member Andrew Dismore intervened that the swap was granted.

The school has subsequently been handed new tickets to a basketball event with the added bonus of being located in the Olympic Park itself, unlike the volleyball.

Headteacher Mrs Rodin said in a statement: "I am so grateful to Mr. Dismore for dealing with the matter so speedily and for a positive outcome."