Mecca of sports

As sports fans, we all know the Araneta Coliseum is the place to be when it comes to watching big events. There’s no more spacious, more comfortable and more spectator-friendly venue anywhere in the country.

How appropriate that the Big Dome opened its doors for the first time to host a major sports milestone – Flash Elorde’s knockout over Harold Gomes to capture the world junior lightweight boxing title on March 16, 1960.

Two years away from celebrating the Araneta Coliseum’s 50th anniversary, we’re jumping the gun on well-wishers by paying tribute to Southeast Asia’s largest indoor facility with this list of little-known facts and things you always wanted to know (but never got around to asking) about the country’s undisputed mecca of sports and entertainment.

• In 1955, Don Jose Amado Araneta bought a 35-hectare Cubao property (now known as the Araneta Center) from Radio Corporation of America at a cost of P4 a square meter. The land included the Araneta family home or the so-called “Bahay Na Puti” and was bounded by EDSA, Aurora Boulevard, P. Tuazon and 15th Avenue in Quezon City.

First to rise in the property was the Araneta Coliseum. Don Amado’s dream was to build the world’s largest dome. He even sent his engineer Dominador Lugtu to Istanbul to make sure the Araneta Coliseum would be 10 feet larger than the Saint Sophia Dome. Don Amado later offered a P10,000 reward to anyone who could name a facility bigger than the Araneta Coliseum at its inauguration.

It was Don Amado’s vision to provide Filipinos with world-class quality entertainment at the lowest admission possible.

For a while, the Araneta Coliseum was the world’s largest indoor dome structure with a diameter of 108 meters. Today, the New Orleans Superdome is known to be the biggest.

• The Araneta Coliseum was built on a patch of cogon land at a cost of P6 million. To this day, it has no center post and is supported by 48 concrete columns and 48 metal ribs. Carrying the total weight are 12-meter and 108-meter upper and lower compression rings.

The Big Dome was constructed at a height of 140 feet, occupying a total land area of almost 40,000 square meters with a floor area of 2,300 square meters. It took two years to build.

• The steel framework was done by Richard de Leon of Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific. For sheeting, it used about 4,965 aluminum sheets of gauge 24 by 4 feet by 8 feet. For TNG (tongue and groove), Philippine hardwood like apitong, tanguile and narra were steam-treated for lifetime use. When the Big Dome was renovated in 1999, the TNGs were still irreplaceable.

• Don Amado passed away on Nov. 17, 1985 at 78. His only son Jorge (Nene) Araneta is now the CEO and president of Araneta Center. It was under Jorge Araneta’s management that the Big Dome was renovated at a cost of P200 million in 1999 and repositioned as the centerpiece of the entertainment and shopping hub, the Araneta Center which is fast-tracking the fulfillment of a 20-year Redevelopment Master Plan aimed to secure its status “as the total lifestyle destination – a one-stop shopping, dining and entertainment experience – at the heart of the metro.”

• What brought the Araneta Coliseum world-wide attention was the “Thrilla In Manila,” the rubber match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier staged at the Big Dome in the morning of Oct. 1, 1975 to catch prime-time viewing in the US. Broadcaster Smokin’ Joe Cantada was the ring announcer and Carlos (Sonny) Padilla, the referee. Don King and Bob Arum collaborated to promote what is now considered one of the most memorable fights ever.

More in tomorrow’s column.

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Postscript. Former PBA cager Joey Guanio’s 10-year-old daughter Sofia brought home a treasure chest of 11 gold medals and a bronze from the Mantas Swimming Age-Group Competitions in Hong Kong recently. She broke an 18-year-old meet record in the 50-meter breaststroke and was awarded the high-point champion’s trophy…There’s an interesting and fact-filled NBA website put up by PhilPost’s Boyet Dones and it’s a must-log. Check it out at boyetsnbacorner.blogspot.com…Philippine Football Federation president Mari Martinez said an auction of paintings will be held for the benefit of underprivileged children under the “Football For Hope and Peace” program during cocktails on Nov .22. Place will be announced later…Catch URCC’s “Indestructible” at 8 p.m., Nov. 22, at the A Venue Hall, Makati Avenue, featuring wushu’s Kevin Belingon versus FOKAI’s Justin Cruz of Guam and Elorde’s Caloy Baduria versus Art of War’s Zhang Tie Quan of China in the mainers. Tickets are available at Ticketnet, Tel. No. 911-5555.