MANILA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Rizal Memorial Coliseum is already being besieged with inquiries for its use by 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and the country's college athletic leagues, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) said on Monday.
PSC Executive Director Guillermo Iroy said the venue, famous for holding basketball games in days past, will be completely refurbished by October 31, nearly a month before the opening of the biennial multi-sport event.
The upgrading work on the 85-year-old venue kicked off in July so it could be used for the hosting of the 30th SEA Games, the PSC said.
"We've already been asked about its rental next year," said Iroy, adding that the country's premier collegiate leagues, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), are both willing to hold their matches there.
The indoor sporting arena located in Metro Manila which has a capacity of 8,000 seats was built in 1934 as part of the wider Rizal Memorial Sports Complex used for the 1954 Asian Games.
According to the PSC, since the Rizal Coliseum has been classified as a Philippine national landmark, its facade wasn't touched by repairs. But the insides, including seats, dressing rooms, and air-conditioners, have been updated.
Gymnastics will be the first event to test the facilities of the refurbished venue during the SEA Games.
A total of 530 events across 56 sports will comprise this year's SEA Games that will be conducted in over 40 competition venues across several cities on the country's main island of Luzon from November 30 to December 11.
