Rizal MC to lure back PBA, NC, UAAP

MANILA, Philippines — Following a major facelift, the Rizal Memorial Coliseum is set to be home anew to the country’s top sporting events. 

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez recently announced the plans that would make RMC a hotbed for the Philippine sports once again after decades of hiatus. 

“We are very optimistic. There are a lot of events lined up in our calendar and we are excited to host them here inside this historical coliseum,” Ramirez said.

Established in 1934 for the then Far Eastern Games (now the Southeast Asian Games), RMC is one of the oldest sports indoor arena in the country and once housed the games of the defunct MICAA, PBL, NCAA and UAAP.

The 6,100-seater coliseum was home to the UAAP and the NCAA until the 2000s as larger arenas surfaced in the Big City like the MOA Arena in Pasay, the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, the Philsports Arena in Pasig and the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. 

But boasting a restored art deco façade now and a modernized indoor ambiance after a world-class renovation for the just concluded 30th SEA Games, the new-look RMC is expecting to welcome those leagues back.

Located inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, RMC housed some of the 2019 SEA Games sports including gymnastics where world champion Caloy Yulo showed his ware on the way to winning two gold and five silver medals.

The PSC is set to re-baptize RMC during the PSC 30th foundation anniversary this January. 

The Philippine Sports Hall of Fame set in November will also be held in RMC as well as PSC’s grassroots development programs like the Batang Pinoy and the Philippine National Games.

“This is a milestone for the PSC. As we celebrate our 30th year, we want it to be inside the Rizal Coliseum which has seen many significant events in Philippine sports,” Ramirez said.