Rizal Memorial Stadium
The Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium (simply known as the Rizal Memorial Stadium; officially the Simeon Toribio Track Stadium) is the main stadium of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, Philippines. It served as the main stadium of the 1954 Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games on three occasions. The stadium is also officially the home of the Philippines national football team and some Philippines Football League matches. Background. Since the 1930s, it has hosted all major local football tournaments and some international matches. When a new tartan track was laid out at the  oval for the country's initial hosting of the 1981 Southeast Asian Games, the venue became a hub for athletics and the football pitch's condition slowly deteriorated. It eventually became unsuitable for international matches which meant the Philippine national team would have to play their home games at an alternate venue. In 2010, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) partnered with the De La Salle University to refurbish the stadium's football pitch. The stadium had undergone a major renovation program with the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) spend for the renovation of the locker rooms, comfort rooms, and the fiberglass  seats. The renovation was completed in 2011 and was first used for the game of Azkals against Sri Lanka in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers round on July 3, 2011 which was the first international football game held at the stadium in the decades, where the Philippine national team won 4-0 overall. However, the pitch (which was a natural grass) deteriorated again due to the number of football and rugby events, that led the PSC to convert it into an artificial turf in 2014. In 2015, its football pitch received the 2-star accreditation from FIFA, making it the  first football pitch in the Philippines to have it. The stadium has undergone a major renovation after it was designated as the venue for the men's football event of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games New individual seats are to be installed in the spectator area of the stadium outside the main grandstand. The renovation also includes the upgrading of its rubberized track oval. The renovation will be funded from the given by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to the Philippine Sports Commission. However only east bleachers are only installed by single seats while north and south bleachers are  still unfinished, even on the first day the football competitions at the SEA Games started without scoreboard during a match between Malaysia and Myanmar. The failure to complete the renovations before the games started went viral on social media. In August 2021, the stadium was officially renamed as the Simeon Toribio Track Stadium, after Olympic high jumper Simeon Toribio. Notable events at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Sports events. The first international rugby test in the stadium was held when the Philippines hosted the 2012 Asian Five Nations Division I tournament, which doubled as a qualifying tournament for the 2015 Rugby  World Cup; the goal posts were erected just days prior to the tournament. Entertainment events. On July 4, 1966, the Rizal Memorial Stadium hosted two sold-out concerts of the Beatles held in Manila and was one of only three cities in Asia (other than Tokyo and Hong Kong) they have ever played in. The combined attendance was 80,000 with the evening concert registering 50,000 paying audience and became the Beatles' second-biggest concert ever. COVID-19 pandemic. During the Philippine Government's ""Hatid Tulong"" program, the stadium was used as the designated temporary holding place for Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs ). The number of individuals and families hoping to be sent back to their respective provinces exceeded the limit of capacity. This raised concerns over the resulting lack of social distancing and Health and Safety guidelines due to the hundreds of people being in close proximity. With the stadium being full, many other individuals who availed of the said program ended up sleeping and gathering outside the stadium complex.