The Philippines’ Carlos Carag, Eric Ang and Hagen Topacio win gold in the men’s team trap shooting event. Photo by June Navarro/INQUIRER
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Olympian Eric Ang, Carlos Carag and Hagen Alexander Topacio are looking beyond their triumphant finish in the team contest of trap shooting Tuesday at the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
“Eric, Alex (Topacio) and I have already hit the MQS (minimum qualification score) in the Olympics six times in a row, so there’s a big possibility that one of us will play in the Olympics,’’ said Carag, who also pocketed a silver in the shotgun event.
Ang, the only Filipino shooter in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, placed second in the men’s individual trap event after firing 115 points in 50 rounds, the same output of Carag, who settled for the bronze medal.
Ang posted strings of 23-24-24-20-24 to bump off Carag from the silver medal after the latter registered a lone 24 out of five frames at the Ilanin Forest Firing Range here.
“It was really disappointing. I was close to winning the gold,’’ said Ang, who placed 30th in his pet event during the Beijing Games.
Together with Hagen Topacio, who compiled 108 points, the Filipinos were able to dislodge the Malaysians in team play with a total of 338 points.
The Malaysians amassed 330 points built on the efforts of men’s individual trap gold winner Bernard Yeoh, Chee Ong and Foo Chen.
Thailand placed third after Savate Sresthaporn, Yodchai Phachonyut and Kornthawat Takthongkam assembled 321 points.
Carag later secured the silver in the shotgun won by Thailand’s Savate Sresthaporn, who hit 44 out of 50 birds.
Carag missed nine and wound up with 41 while Malaysia’s Chee Ong got the bronze with 34.
“We have been preparing internationally for this and the Olympic qualifiers for the past six months. We will continue training everyday until we get a memo notifying that one of us will go to Tokyo,’’ said Carag.
Filipino trap shooters closed out their campaign with one gold and two silvers.