Padilla tops rapid fire, bags 2nd gold
MANILA, Philippines —Veteran internationalist Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla has made a strong case for inclusion in the country’s contingent to the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
Padilla shot 553 points and added the 25-meter rapid fire pistol gold medal yesterday to his victory in the standard pistol last Monday in the PSC-POC Philippine National Games.
Ronald Hejastro settled for the silver with 539 points, and Robert Donalvo took the bronze with 524 at Fort Bonifacio firing range in Taguig City.
“It’s still a long way to go before the Asian Games and I might not have the time for it,” said the softspoken 49-year-old Padilla, who manages the family-owned Spring Cooking Oil. “I just wanted to join the competitions (PNG).”
He was supposed to compete in the centerfire today but the multiple Southeast Asian Games medalist begged off.
Padilla, who won the gold in the 1976 world junior shootfest in Mexico when he was barely 12, said he would lend his pistol to Clarence Pukya, a promising shooter in the centerfire event. The Incheon Games are scheduled from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 with the size of the Philippine delegation expected to be finalized late August.
London Olympian Jessie Khing Lacuna scooped two gold medals in the pool at the start of swimming competitions while wrestlers Jayson Balabal and Margarito Angana, both former SEA Games champions, proved superior on the mat.
The 20-year-old Lacuna from Pulilan, Bulacan, ruled the 100m freestyle in 54.54 seconds and the 400m free in 4:07.19 at the Rizal Memorial pool.
Axel Toni Ngui of Quezon City placed second in the 100m free (54.62) and John Angelo Vitug of Malolos, Bulacan, finished third (56.84). Balabal, gold medalist in the 2011 SEA Games, claimed the 85 kg men’s Greco Roman title and Margarito Angana, a double-gold winner in previous editions of the meet, ruled the 59 kg class.
Other winners in the men’s Greco Roman, held at the Marikina Riverbanks, were Taytay’s Roxel Jandog (75 kg) and Maxwell Francisco (71 kg), Zamboanga’s Mario Gacuma Jr. (54 kg), Michael Vijay Cater of Taytay (50 kg) and Gregie Jandog (66 kg) of Philippine Air Force.
In billiards, John Rebong forged a finals showdown with John Mauricio in the men’s 9-ball.
Rebong, last year’s champion, defeated veteran Warren Kiamco, 9-2, while Mauricio toppled Manolo Tanasas, 9-5, in the semifinals. Tanasas conquered former world champion Dennis Orcollo, 9-3, in the eliminations.
SEA Games champion Rubilen Amit advanced to the semifinals of the women’s event after frustrating 14-year-old Cheska Centeno, 9-2, in the last eight.
Over at Philsports track oval, Avery Cuyugan won the men’s junior shotput with a heave of 13.54 meters.
UST’s Gary Santiago pocketed the silver (13.53) and Keneth Paul Rafanan of Dasmarinas the bronze (13.39).
Matrix Jasmine Ortiz of UP dominated the junior women’s hammer throw with a heave of 27.14 meters.
