Rizal Memorial Stadium

Rizal Memorial Stadium

The grandstand
Location Manila, Philippines
Coordinates 14°33′48.25″N 120°59′31.20″E / 14.5634028°N 120.9920000°E / 14.5634028; 120.9920000Coordinates: 14°33′48.25″N 120°59′31.20″E / 14.5634028°N 120.9920000°E / 14.5634028; 120.9920000
Owner Philippine Sports Commission
Operator Philippine Sports Commission
Capacity 12,000
Field size 105 x 68 m[1]
(114.8 x 74.4 yd)
Surface Artificial turf
Opened 1934
Tenants
Philippines national football team
United Football League
University Athletic Association of the Philippines
National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines)

The Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium, simply known as the Rizal Memorial Stadium since it is the main stadium within the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, is the national stadium of the Philippines. It served as the main stadium of the 1954 Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games on three occasions. Prior to its renovation in 2011, the stadium was badly deteriorated and was unfit for international matches. The stadium is also officially the home of the Philippines national football team.

Renovation

Since the 1930s, it has hosted all major local football tournaments and some international matches.[note 1] When a new tartan track was laid out at the oval for the country's initial hosting of the 1981 Southeast Asian Games, the venue became a hub for athletics and the football field's condition slowly deteriorated.[2] It eventually became unsuitable for international matches which meant the Philippine national team would have to play their home games at an alternate venue.

In early 2009, as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced plans to renovate the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, restoration of the football field and stadium was also planned.[note 2] The restoration would include removing the track oval and transforming it to a modern football stadium.[3] The PSC has vowed to raise money from the private sector and the government, totaling at least ₱50 million for the renovation, which they plan on doing sometime in the last quarter of 2009.[2] In February 2010, it was announced that the PSC was still waiting for a private partner to co-finance the project, therefore the original schedule for the renovation was delayed.[4]

The renovation of the stadium is one of many projects of the PSC to help struggling associations to be more competitive.[5] Although the transformation of the Rizal Stadium into a football-specific stadium has drawn skeptics as there is a belief that it should lead to a movement to revive football in general, but won't and it doesn't do anything for the sport at grassroots level.[4]

Despite the doubts, it was announced in February 2010 that the plans for renovation are set to start sometime in March 2010 with the participation of De La Salle University. The project is expected to finish in six months.[6] National athletes presently training at the track and field oval will be relocated at the PhilSports Complex or at the PSC training center in Baguio.[2]

After renovations in 2011 in preparation for a FIFA World Cup Qualifying match, the stadium was found to be able to seat 12,873 in accordance with FIFA's seating specifications.[7] The stadium has since become the primary venue of the United Football League.

The stadium will host its first international rugby test when the Philippines hosts the 2012 Asian Five Nations Division I tournaments, which doubles as a qualifying tournament for the 2015 Rugby World Cup; the goal posts were erected just days prior to the tournament.[8]

Panoramic view of Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Events

Sports

Rizal Memorial Stadium from the air

The Rizal Memorial Stadium was the main venue for various football and athletics events during the:

Concerts

On 4 July 1966, the Rizal Memorial Stadium hosted two soldout concerts the Beatles held in Manila and was one of only two cities in Asia they have ever played in. The combined attendance was 80,000 with the evening concert registering 50,000 paying audience and became the Beatles' second biggest concert ever.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Estádios - Manila, Filipinas". Show de Bola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 June Navarro (29 March 2009). "PSC plans to restore RMSC football field". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  3. ↑ Russell Cadayona (22 May 2009). "RMSC track oval aalisin na". Pilipino Star Ngayon (in Filipino). Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  4. 1 2 Recah Trinidad (6 February 2010). "We also need a football revolution". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  5. ↑ Julius Manicad (29 March 2009). "PSC scrapes Rizal oval for football field". The Daily Tribune.
  6. ↑ Virgil Lopez (6 February 2010). "Rizal Memorial Stadium facelift set". Sun.Star (Manila). Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  7. ↑ "Rizal can only seat 13,000". PhilSTAR.com. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "Teams ready for RWC Qualifiers in Manila". Rugbyworldcup.com. 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  9. ↑ "A Hard Day's Night in Manila". BeatlesNumber9.com. Retrieved 29 December 2009.

Notes

  1. ↑ The location of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex was formerly known as the Carnival Grounds. During this time, it also hosted local and international football matches.
  2. ↑ This is the first major renovation planned for the stadium ever since it was rebuilt after being destroyed during World War II. Only minor renovations have taken place prior to hosting the Southeast Asian Games.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Preceded by
Stadium Merdeka
Kuala Lumpur		 Asian Athletics Championships
Venue
1993 		Succeeded by
Bung Karno Stadium
Jakarta
Preceded by
Sugathadasa Stadium
Colombo		 Asian Athletics Championships
Venue
2003 		Succeeded by
Munhak Stadium
Incheon
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