While the Indian sports sector overall has been impacted by the July 1 rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) with equipment cost and price of entry tickets for tournaments attracting up to 28 per cent tax, the Fifa U-17 World Cup tickets would not be affected, according to Local Organising Committee (LoC) tournament director Javier Ceppi.

"We had taken a conscious decision to keep our tickets prices economical, because we wanted universal access to the World Cup," Ceppi said.

According to the new indirect tax regime ushered in at the stroke of midnight on July 1, tickets priced below Rs 250 will be exempt from GST.

Ceppi said that while most World Cup tickets will be priced below Rs 250, those few that fall in the higher bracket would not cost the buyer much due to the pan-India indirect taxation reform.

"Most of our tickets have been priced below the Rs 250 threshold and will not attract GST, so it is something that was resolved even before GST came into effect. For the few tickets we have over Rs 250, we will not pass on any extra cost due to GST to the fans and we will follow all regulations and procedures as established in the law," the Chilean added.

The first phase of World Cup tickets had a discount of 60 percent on the minimum priced tickets to those buying tickets in block for all the matches at a venue.

But post-GST rollout where the Indian Premier League will attract the highest tax slab of 28 per cent, other events organised by national sports federations (NSFs) will attract 18 per cent on tickets.

The cost of a number of sporting equipment will also shoot up. City-based India batsman Manoj Tiwary urged the cricket coaching centres to come forward and help budding cricketers, who are from financially weak background, with basic kit.

"If prices of helmets and bats go up, it will definitely be difficult for the not so rich ones to afford them. We have a lot of talent in suburbs and not everyone there can afford expensive equipment.

Post-GST, if prices of these things go up, my personal opinion is that cricket coaching centres should help the needy ones with a basic kit," Tiwar said.

Tiwary, who has been part of IPL since its inception in 2008, however, felt the brand value of IPL is such that it won't be affected even if ticket prices go up from season 11.

Before GST, sports manufacturers were paying two percent excise duty on goods, according to the charge imposed on them in 2011.

Source: Khaleej Times