Rizal Memorial Coliseum turning back to being tennis venue

MANILA, Philippines — By next year, the iconic Rizal Memorial Coliseum will revert to what it was initially built for — tennis.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio bared this during Wednesday’s media launch of the ASTAF Under-19 Asian Sepaktakraw Championships slated November 18-25 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

“The end goal, I’m telling you just now, is to host the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) there,” he said.

The RMC, of course, was first called the Rizal Memorial Tennis Stadium when it was constructed in 1934 and later turned into a basketball court and eventually a multi-sports facility that catered to many other disciplines.

Include tennis a year from now.

Meanwhile, Philippine Sepaktakraw Association Inc. president Karen Tanchanco-Caballero said they’re excited to bring in the biggest international tournament in the sport to the country.

“This will be the maiden edition of the Asian Under-19 so we are honored we were given a chance to host it,” said Tanchanco-Caballero.

“This is also the first and biggest international event in sepak takraw that we’re hosting under my watch so it’s really something special for the sport,” she added.

Caballero said the event is expected to draw around 700 participants from 12 to 16 countries in the region.

“It’s long overdue. Let’s start appreciating the beauty of the sport, which shows the beauty of Filipino youth ihn one ball,” said Gregorio.

Also gracing the briefing were PSC commissioner Walter Torres and Asian Sepaktakraw Federation deputy president and technical delegate Muhammad Fariq Abdul Halim.

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