PhilSports Arena

The Philippine Institute of Sports Multi-Purpose Arena or PhilSports Arena is an indoor sporting arena located inside the PhilSports Complex in Pasig, Philippines. It was formerly known as the University of Life Theater and Recreational Arena or the ULTRA. The arena is part of the PhilSports Complex which is maintained by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Not to be confused with PhilSports Football and Athletics Stadium or Philippine Arena.
PhilSports Arena
Former namesPSC-National Academy of Sports Arena
PSC Sports Arena
University of Life Theater and Recreational Arena (ULTRA)
LocationPasig, Philippines
OwnerPhilippine Sports Commission
OperatorPhilippine Sports Commission
Capacity10,000
Construction
Opened1985
Renovated2019
Tenants
PBA (1985–1992, 1999–2007, 2014–2017)
UAAP (1986, 1999, 2004–2005, 2006–2007, 2008–2011, 2016–present)
PSL (2013)
PVL (2017–2018)
Pasig-Rizal Pirates (1998)
San Juan Knights (1999)

It was the site of the majority of the games of the Philippine Basketball Association from 1985 to 1992 and from 1999 to 2002. The league still occasionally comes back to play at the arena. The arena was also the home court of the Pasig-Rizal Pirates in the Metropolitan Basketball Association in 1998 and the San Juan Knights in 1999.

History
The PhilSports Arena prior to the 2019 renovation.
The interior of the arena in 2010 during a UAAP game.

When the arena was opened in 1985, the Philippine Basketball Association became the main tenants of the arena after nine years at the Araneta Coliseum. The venue attracted standing-room only crowds during their stay. The league stayed for seven years until they moved to the newly built Cuneta Astrodome in 1993, citing the venue's lack of maintenance.

The arena was supposed to be the staging site of the now-defunct early afternoon ABS-CBN game show Wowowee on February 4, 2006 during its first anniversary but became the site of a deadly stampede that killed 74 people and injured hundreds. Crowds of people from middle class to mostly lower class camped outside the stadium for days to win the large prizes given out during the show. At the time the gates opened, the crowd grew impatient, started shoving, making the gates give way and crushing people in the front of the queue. As of today, the cause of the stampede is still being determined pending investigation.

When Tropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng struck the Philippines in 2009, some evacuees took shelter in the arena.

The 2011 FIBA Asia Champions Cup was held in the arena, where Mahram Tehran defeated Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut in the final. Smart Gilas finished fourth in the tournament, losing to Mahram in the semifinals.

It is also the host venue of the 2015 Asian U23 Women's Volleyball Championship held last May 1–9, 2015.

The arena was renovated and given a major facelift in time for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games[1] as the designated venue for the men's and women's volleyball competition.[2]

Notable events at the PhilSports Arena

Upcoming events
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See also

References
  1. "Venues to serve Philippine sports beyond 30th Southeast Asian Games". Spin.ph. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  2. Mendoza, Voltaire (22 February 2019). "SEAG volleyball to be played at historic PhilSports". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
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