Ninoy Aquino Stadium was originally built in the 1950s as an open-air stadium, in time for the 1954 Asian Games. By the 1980s, it had been converted into an indoor arena named Rizal Multi-Purpose Arena, in time for the 1989 ABC Under-18 Championships, which opened on January 24, 1989. At the opening of the tournament, it was renamed Ninoy Aquino Stadium and a marker dedicating the arena was unveiled. The renovation included new chairs and a new scoring system from South Korea installed by Korean technicians.[2][3][4] It also hosted the volleyball tournament of the 1991 Southeast Asian Games, the table tennis competitions of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games[citation needed] and the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship as the second venue of the tournament.[5]
The Ninoy Aquino Stadium was renovated for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games to host the taekwondo and weightlifting competitions.[6] New seats and a new air-conditioning system were installed in the arena with the plans for the facility to become "high-tech" or up to par with modern standards. Both the NCAA and the UAAP expressed interest to hold their games in the arena again.[7] The renovation of the facility was completed on November 13, 2019, with the send-off ceremony for the Philippine team in preparation for the games held at the arena.[8]
^De La Cruz, Gabrielle (April 6, 2020). "Ninoy Aquino Stadium to operate as a COVID-19 quarantine facility". BluPrint. One Mega Group Inc. The design of the COVID-19 quarantine facility primarily focuses on the stadium's arena, with the 6,000 seats surrounding it left untouched.
