The Commonwealth Games organising committee (CGOC) on Friday launched the sale of online tickets for the games. Surprisingly, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was missing from the function.

Price ranging from a modest Rs 50 to a whopping Rs 50,000, tickets for this year’s Commonwealth Games went on sale on  with sports enthusiasts having the option of booking them online or through call centres.

The ticketing website — www.tickets.cwgdelhi2010.org and a call center facility 1800-200-1294 to book the tickets –were launched at a function here by Delhi Lt Governor Tejender Khanna, Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and city Mayor Prithiviraj Sahni.

Tickets for the Commonwealth Games — at prices ranging from Rs.50 to Rs.50,000 — went on sale Friday, officials said

While ticket prices for the sporting event, to be held here in October, will range from Rs.50 to Rs.1,000, those for the opening ceremony have been pegged from Rs.1,000 to Rs.50,000, Commonwealth Games organising committee (CGOC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi announced.

The ticket prices for the closing ceremony will be between Rs.750 and Rs.50,000, Kalmadi said.

Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna, who launched an official ticketing website www.tickets.cwgdelhi2010, was the first to get a Rs.1,000 ticket for the event.

Delhi Mayor P.R. Sawhney was given a Rs.250 ticket for the Games.

The Lt. Governor later told reporters that about 17 lakh tickets are expected to be sold for the event.

The sale of the tickets will start with immediate effect through the Central Bank of India and Hero Honda stores, CWG ticketing call center (1800-200-1294) as well as through the official website.