HOW does the Hidylin Diaz Stadium sound like? Or the Paulino Alcantara Memorial Football Stadium, and the Haydee Coloso pool?
The Philippine Sports Commission is seriously thinking of renaming the PSC-administered facilities in Metro Manila and in Baguio after the country’s national sports heroes and heroines in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments.
Commissioner Ramon Fernandez yesterday said this was discussed during the agency’s recent board meeting presided over by Chairman Butch Ramirez, adding they are now coming up with a list of names worthy of the honor.
“But we already have decided to name the newly-renovated weightlifting gym inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex after Diaz for winning the country’s first Olympic Gold medal in the last Tokyo Olympics,” he said.
The government sports agency administers several sports facilities, including those within the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, the Philsports Complex (formerly known as the ULTRA) in Pasig, and its training center at the Teacher’s Camp in Baguio City.
Aside from Diaz, the country’s first Olympic gold medalist; Alcantara, the Filipino football forward who starred for European soccer giant Barcelona at the turn of the 20th century; and Coloso, some of the names being bruited are the late basketball legend Carlos “The Big Difference” Loyzaga and softball and baseball great Filomeno “Boy” Codinera Jr., among others.
In the case of some of the facilities at the heritage-rich RMSC, Fernandez said they might need the approval of the National Commission on Culture and Arts before they can rename them, such as the Rizal ballpark and the Rizal Coliseum.
Fernandez said he was also designated in charge of establishing the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame Museum at a lot previously occupied by the Philippine National Bank branch onAdriatico St. overlooking the Century Park Sheraton Hotel.
Ramirez said he wanted the museum built by the end of this year so that all of the important mementoes and memorabilia of the Hall of Famers could be put on display for the appreciation of the public.
