Rizal Memorial Sports Complex not originally among SEA Games venues, says PSC’s Fernandez

The Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, where the 2019 Southeast Asian Games football matches are already being held, was not originally among the venues chosen for the regional sporting event, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioner Ramon Fernandez said Thursday.

In a report by Chino Trinidad on 24 Oras, the former basketball player gave the news crew a tour of the newly renovated complex.

"This is where basketball started," he said.

Fernandez clarified that the renovation of the complex was not part of SEA Games preparations, and that it was only in August this year when the funds became available for the rehabilitation of the complex.

However, he said, international federations rejected other prospective venues, so the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) added the complex, which was being renovated, to its list.

"Inihabol lang namin at nag-promise naman kasi 'yung mga contractors na kaya naman nila," Fernandez said.

FULL COVERAGE: 30th Southeast Asian Games on GMA News Online

Workers were rushing to finish construction at the site, even in the hours leading up to the first football matches, leading the Thai national team to train elsewhere.

Fernandez, who was part of the national basketball team in 1971 and 1973, added that he was very happy with the new state of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, one of the facilities inside the Complex.

For him, being an athlete was "worth it."

"We made sure na i-prioritize namin yung mga atleta kaya namin pinagawa ito para maging moderno naman ang facilities, [at] ganahan yung mga atleta natin," he said. — Angelica Y. Yang/BM, GMA News