16,000-seat SM arena in MOA new home for college hoops
THE National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will have a new home for its basketball tournament—a 16,000-seat brand-new arena being built at the SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City.
The announcement was jointly made by the NCAA—Season 87 president Anthony Jose Tamayo of University of Perpetual Help System Dalta and Fr. Vic Calvo of Season 88 host Letran—and by SM brass on Thursday.
“Most of the NCAA schools are near the Mall of Asia and the new arena is very much accessible,” said Calvo during the press launch of the NCAA and SM at the iMax Theater.
“The facilities in this new arena are really world class and we’re excited to play here next year,” he added. The new arena will be fully operational in May 2012. When filled to the rafters, it could accommodate 20,000.
The University Athletic Association of the Philippines will also use the same arena for its 75th Season which National University, now owned by SM, will host.
SM senior vice president of West Avenue Theaters Edgar Tejerero said games of the Philippine Basketball Association could be also played in the new arena.
“The new arena will have seats even at the general admission area. The materials are imported from the United States and the setup will be like the NBA [National Basketball Association] arenas in the States,” said Tejerero.
Meanwhile, the SM Tickets, NCAA and The Arena (San Juan) management sealed an agreement that all the tickets for this year’s NCAA basketball games would be sold at SM Tickets outlets.
Most of the games of the NCAA will be played at The Arena.
“We want to make the NCAA a green league kasi maraming mga nasasayang na tickets na hindi ginagamit in past seasons,” said NCAA Management Committee head Michael del Mundo of Perpetual Help.
“With the SM Tickets, there will be tickets on demand, meaning, puwede ka nang bumili sa SM Tickets kung malayo ka sa Arena pero malapit ka sa kahit anong mall ng SM,” he added.
The NCAA season starts on July 2 with defending champion San Beda facing Perpetual Help in the opener and San Sebastian College taking on Jose Rizal University in the second match at the Araneta Colisuem. --Joel Orellana
IN PHOTO -- (FROM left) Henry Lapis, SM Tickets Business Unit head; Michael del Mundo, Perpetual Help Athletic director; Edgar Tejerero, senior vice president of West Avenue Theaters Corp.; Anthony Jose Tamayo, NCAA Policy Board president; San Juan Vice Mayor Francis Zamora; and Lyn Manansala, San Juan Arena general manager, at Thursday’s press conference. --NONIE REYES
