MelMac Sports a modern haven for budding athletes

MANILA, Philippines — A new home for the country’s future sporting greats has risen from down South.

The MelMac Sports center has broken ground in Imus, Cavite, this week, ushering a new era for grassroots and budding athletes from CALABARZON with state-of-the-art facilities across multiple sports.

Located at the Vista Mall Complex just minutes away from Metro Manila, the newest sports facility has FIBA-standard 5-on-5 and 3x3 basketball courts, gym, volleyball court and at least four courts for pickleball, the booming sport today across all generations.

It was personally observed and approved by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas led by Executive Director Erika Dy during an ocular visit before the soft opening on Monday.

A tennis court in homage of the Filipina star Alex Eala is also in the works outside the facility while the 3x3 court, eyed to be a venue for future FIBA 3x3 tournaments, will have the exact flooring from the Paris Olympics upon its delivery this month.

By June, a football field is also set for construction in Dasmariñas, promising to be one of the best pitches in Luzon with a sunset backdrop by the bay and FIFA-standard field.

Asked what’s the rationale behind building a training ground for Filipino dreamers in the province instead at the heart of the Big City, owner and founder Mel Macasaquit has just one in mind:

“There is a need for standard facilities to be built in the provinces,” beamed Macasaquit, a long-time sports patron and one of the 3x3 basketball pioneering figure heads in the country, who has also worked with Gilas Pilipinas and the Philippine AzkaLS.

“There’s a (bigger) opportunity here for our grassroots athletes to grow more. It’s been long overdue to bring standard facilities to the provinces as people deserve the same treatments from the facilities in Manila.”

And this early, the MelMac Sports Center since soft opening this month has become one of the fast-rising sports meccas in the South Luzon with a packed schedule everyday across all sports and across all walks of life. Local government agencies and private tournaments are also booking in groves.

What made it an entirely different experience is the partnership with Sports 360, a booking application that allows any player to be able to play even without a team in basketball or without a partner in pickle ball. Through the app, you just have to register as individuals, and the app will automatically allot schedules for you with other players in a bid to build camaraderie, play anytime and at a more affordable price.

But there’s more to it than just breaking through in Imus as Macasaquit eyes expansion in at least locations nationwide. Cabanatuan, Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Cebu and Bacolod are some of the cities in the pipeline this year.

“Sports is really identity. We want to do more. We want to invest in this experience for our athletes,” added Macasaquit, a former varsity basketball player and team manager himself before transitioning to an organizational role for Philippine sports as a whole.

“It's built with passion. This is what we want to do for the rest of our lives. Ito talaga ‘yun. There’s no better way. It’s more of us wanting to stick to provinces where grassroots athletes are yet to be discovered.”

Aside from local interests, the MelMac Sports Center is also luring some traction to serve as home of the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), UAAP 3x3 and some professional leagues for either in-game or training facilities.

In fact, the sprawling facility was slated to host some preseason games of the 8th MPBL Season last month but it was still in the final stages of construction, making sure all bases are covered before opening to the public.

And yes, the MelMac Sports Center also has a built-in restaurant named “Planet MelMac: Chick ‘N Chips” for beverages and food inside the building for athletes after work, which was first opened in Singapore before expanding in the country with more branches slated around the archipelago.