Baltonado, Gomez on target in National Sporting Clays Championship

ORMOC CITY, Philippines — The crack of shotguns echoed across Team GomaSport Shooting Range as the country’s finest marksmen gathered for the 2026 Sporting Clays National Championship.

At the end of two days of competition from June 27-28, Carlo Baltonado emerged as the 2026 national champion after winning the men’s Class A category, while Rep. Richard Gomez claimed second overall and the senior crown, both of them showcasing precision, discipline and nerves of steel.

Baltonado, a rising star in the sport, strung together consistent rounds of 23-23-23-23-23-21-23-23 for a total of 182 points. His average hit rate of 22.8 per 25 targets translated to an impressive 91% shooting accuracy.

“The shooting range in Ormoc City was beautifully set up for the Nationals. It was a very competitive tournament and I couldn’t relax my shooting, otherwise my competitors would catch up easily,” said Baltonado.

Gomez, a seasoned competitor and sportsman, proved that experience counts. He compiled 174 points with rounds of 22-20-21-22-22-23-22-22, good for an 87% accuracy and an average of 21.8 hits per round.

His performance not only secured second place overall but also earned him the national senior championship title.

“I am very fortunate to be able to shoot at the highest level in this sport and I would like to continue to propagate and encourage young shooters to try it out,’’ said Gomez, underscoring the mental toughness required in the sport.

Jed Rivilla rounded out the podium in the men’s division, finishing third with 171 points on 86% accuracy. Timothy Angtuaco ruled Class B with 162 points, while Teddy Javines topped Class C with 149.

In the senior division, Mike Aguilar placed second behind Gomez with 161 points, followed by Noel Vicencio with 137. The tournament drew 18 shooters nationwide, each demonstrating skill and composure under pressure.

Sporting clays is a shooting discipline designed to simulate the unpredictability of live bird hunting. Competitors move through a course with multiple stations, each presenting clay targets launched at varying angles, speeds, and distances.

“Sporting clays is the fastest-growing and largest clay shooting discipline in the world. It has been active in the Philippines since the early 1990s, when I first established the sport in Taytay, Rizal,’’ said Gomez, also the Philippine Olympic Committee Vice President.

“Today, SCAP (Sporting Clays Association of the Philippines) is the country’s officially recognized organization by FITASC, POC and the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission),’’ added the esteemed Representative from the Fourth District of Leyte province.

Founded in 1921 in Paris, France, FITASC is the acronym of Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse (International Federation for Shooting Sports with Hunting Weapons), the world governing body in the sport.

Unlike trap or skeet shooting, sporting clays offers a wide variety of target presentations, testing a shooter’s adaptability and reflexes.

The rules are straightforward but demanding. Each shooter faces a series of “rounds,” typically with 25 clay targets per set. Targets may be singles or pairs, and shooters must adjust quickly to different trajectories. Scoring is based on hits, with each broken clay counting as one point. Accuracy and consistency across multiple rounds determine the champion.

Baltonado’s 91% accuracy demonstrated remarkable steadiness, hitting nearly every target across eight rounds. Gomez’s 87% accuracy reflected his ability to stay competitive against younger shooters, while Jed’s 86% showed the razor-thin margins separating the top contenders.

In sporting clays, a single missed target can shift the leaderboard dramatically.

“I practiced a lot and made sure my mindset was ready for this year’s 200 targets competition,” said Baltonado.

Beyond the numbers, the championship highlighted the growing popularity of sporting clays in the Philippines. Once considered a niche pastime, the discipline has gained traction as both a recreational sport and a competitive pursuit.

The Team GomaSport Shooting Range provided a world-class venue, with challenging layouts that tested even the most experienced marksmen. (Pool story)