Valenzuela City future sports hub

MANILA, Philippines — Valenzuela City is trying to make a case as the country’s next sporting hub with the construction of a new multi-sports arena.

The 1.2 hectare training facility, a project of Deputy Speaker Wes Gatchalian, houses a two-court basketball floor, volleyball court, badminton area, chess, table tennis, billiards hall, main hall, dugouts, among others, and will be called Wellness Entertainment Sports (WES) Arena located in Barangay Punturin.

The arena will be inaugurated on Aug. 11, coinciding with the birthday of Gatchalian, who represents the first district of Valenzuela City. It will initially be used as a vaccination site before finally being utilized into a full-time sports arena once the pandemic is over.

“It’s the first and largest sports arena in Valenzuela City,” Gatchalian proudly beamed during his appearance in the webcast edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum last Tuesday.

“We’re just maximizing the area in preparation for Valenzuela hosting major national tournaments in the future. This is our vision, to compete in national tournaments and makilala sa sports city namin, which is always synonymous to factory and industrial city.”

PBA great and Valenzuela City sports director Gerry Esplana was with the solon in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp.  (SMC), MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), and added that has been a long-time dream of him as a true sportsman for the city have its own huge playing arena.

“Progresibo ang lungsod kung may sports facility. Isang patunay na progresibo ang city kung maganda ang sports (program). And since Valenzuela is the gateway to the North, maganda na magdadaos tayo ng isang sports event na ma-showcase yung pagiging progressive ng ating lungsod,” said Esplana, the 1990 PBA Rookie of the Year.

The former Valenzuela City councilor added the two-story building could serve as a one-stop shop for the entire family as even housewives could avail of the facility which also offers a place where to hold Zumba sessions.