Shotgun exclusion dims shooters' hopes

MANILA, Philippines - Delisting the shotgun events of trap and skeet has made it difficult for the Philippine team of 11 shooters to hit the bull’s eye in the 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos but Philippine National Shooting Association (PNSA) president Art Macapagal said yesterday he is still optimistic the gunners will deliver with a few more gold medals at stake.

As of last Saturday, seven countries had already collected medals in shooting with Thailand bagging six golds to lead the way. Others with at least a gold medal were Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia. Malaysia went without a gold but managed two silvers and three bronzes in the first 16 of 34 events in shooting.

Four gold medals will be on the line in today’s schedule with 10-meter running target mixed individual and team for women and 50-meter pistol individual and team for men. Tomorrow, another four gold medals will be up for grabs with 10-meter running target mixed individual and team for men and 50-meter rifle 3-position individual and team for men.

On Wednesday, the events are 25-meter rapid-fire pistol individual and team for men and the day after, it will be the 25-meter sport pistol individual and team for women. On Friday, the last day of competitions, the final two gold medals will be on the table for 25-meter center fire pistol individual and team for men.

The country’s best bet in rapid fire is 45-year-old veteran Nathaniel (Tac) Padilla, who holds the Philippine record in his favorite event. Padilla, who is campaigning in his 16th SEA Games and won his first gold medal in rapid fire in 1979, heads the national shooting squad in Laos. Padilla’s teammates are Ronaldo Hejastro, Robert Donalvo, Carolino Gonzales, Eddie Tomas, Rocky Pardilla, Edwin Fernandez, Emerito Concepcion, Shanin Gonzales, Ruth Ricardo and his 18-year-old daughter Mica.

According to Macapagal, only the elder Padilla, Hejastro, Donalvo, Concepcion and Carolino Gonzales gained the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) nod to receive assistance for the SEA Games. The five are among 153 athletes supported by the PSC to compete in Laos.

Aside from Padilla, other veterans in the team are Fernandez, 44, Concepcion, 47, Carolino Gonzales, 52, and Tomas, 40.

Three teenaged shooters joined the delegation for “investment” purposes – the younger Padilla, Shanin Gonzales, 15 and Ricardo, 20. The prospects came from the initial pool of 18 shooters under the PNSA’s National Youth Developmental Program.

Macapagal, who is in Manila, said excluding the shotgun events was a big blow to the Philippines.

“At the recent Southeast Asian shootfest in Bangkok, all our shotgun shooters won medals, including two golds,” he said. “The shotgun events were not included in the Laos program. Unfortunately, our best teams are in these events.”

It will be recalled that the Philippines sent a lone shooter Eric Ang to compete in the trap event at the Beijing Olympics last year.

At the SEA Games two years ago, the Philippines brought back two silvers and a bronze. Claiming the silvers were Jacqueline de Guzman in women’s skeet and the men’s teams in trap and skeet. Concepcion took the bronze in the men’s 10-meter air rifle. In Laos, Concepcion finished fourth in the same air rifle event.

“Competition has really improved,” said Macapagal. “Our veterans need to step up and change training techniques to keep pace with improving competition. Our young shooters shot their training scores in competition which indicates they are up to the pressure and with more improvements in their techniques and scores, we are confident of future successes with them.”

Macapagal said while the Philippines failed to snatch a single medal in the first five days of competition, he’s not about to wave the white flag.