Different sports are held at different venues from time to time. Some new venues are introduced every year, while places like the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC), Mall of Asia Arena, and Smart Araneta Coliseum, however, are venues that have consistently housed UAAP games. With Season 80 already underway, The LaSallian looks at the various venues of the first half of the season with perspectives of the people who would know best—the different athletes and fans.
Rizal Memorial Sports Complex
Built in 1934, the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex located on Pablo Ocampo St. holds various UAAP sports events. Games for the first half of the season held here are at the Badminton Hall and the Swimming Center. Green Tanker Alnair Guevarra shares that the center is great for competitions since it has good racing equipment and that there is also a big scoreboard to display the time of each swimmer. The only downside, he says, is that the roof is quite short which doesn’t give the audience enough shade when they are watching competitions.
The Badminton Hall, on the other hand, is an indoor venue with five courts inside. Don Carlo, a spectator, thinks that the venue seemed to be just about right for the event since it had enough space for a few number of courts but wishes that there would be additional bleachers for the players since they were seated along with the crowd, which didn’t seem right in his opinion.
Smart Araneta Coliseum and MOA Arena
The home to basketball players and multiple spectators, the Smart Araneta Coliseum, also known as the Big Dome, is located in the Cubao area of Quezon City while MOA Arena is located at Bay City, Pasay City. Milo Ignacio, a student from La Salle and an avid fan of basketball says that both venues are big, well ventilated, and have many stalls for the audience to eat and drink but notes that the food being sold is quite pricey and needs to be lowered down.
In addition to this, Daniela de Leon, who tries to recall her first basketball game back in 2015 states that the venue was spacious and could accommodate a lot of people, especially during big games like La Salle vs. Ateneo. “Lighting is good, as well as the acoustics, seeing that the cheers were clearly heard as well as the screams,” she shares. The seats were also surprisingly comfortable for her even when she was only seated at the upper box level of the arena.
DLS-Z Sports Pavilion and the UP Human Kinetics Gym
The De La Salle Zobel Sports Pavilion is where the Green and Lady Judokas hold their pre-season tournaments and competitions for UAAP. Team Captain Michael Borja shares how the pavilion was like their home court since they have tournaments like the Bro. Ceci Johilla Cup there every year. He also comments on how they had to adapt to the cold temperature since they aren’t quite used to it and that it’s harder to breathe, although the good thing is that it isn’t that tiring while playing and that they become less prone to injuries.
As for the Human Kinetics Gym located in UP Diliman, it a new venue this season that holds the tournament for the table tennis team. Jose Reyes, a spectator, took note of how the venue looked quite old and worn down. To him, the ventilation of the area was naturally airy but still quite warm and that the playing area was kept clean for the players.
SM Sands by the Bay and Blue Eagle Gym
Manila has no beaches, but the Sands by the Bay located in Pasay City holds a great venue perfect for beach and recreational activities. Carminia Sogono looks back at the time she watched beach volleyball and comments how the venue was appropriate for the event but hopes that there would be more seats to accommodate the audience when watching the games.
Lastly, the Blue Eagle Gym, formerly known as the Loyola Center is where Taekwondo, and a few women’s basketball games, take place. The gym used to be a venue for PBA games in its earlier years as well as various other events for UAAP and NCAA games. Imari Takahashi, another spectator, shares her experiences watching the taekwondo team last season. She said that the venue was appropriate enough for the event since it is big and spacious for the players but that the ventilation of the area wasn’t that great since there weren’t that many windows inside, making it quite warm not only for the players, but for the audience as well.
