5-time world champ heads Bolo shoot cast

A FIVE-TIME world shooting champion leads the international cast vying for gold in the 12th Demetrio “Bolo” Tuason Cup from July 12 to 15 at the Arms Corporation of the Philippines (Armscor) range in Marikina.

Eric Grauffel, a five-time International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) world champion, banners a strong field of 500 local and foreign shooters from the United States, Europe and Asia.

Armscor president Gina Marie Angangco said the tournament, named after the chair of the country’s biggest firearms and ammunition manufacturer, is part of the firm’s 70th year celebrations.

“It’s a good venue to show how good our products are and you can see how our guns perform in tough situations,” Angangco said in the PSA Forum presented by Smart, Pagcor and Shakey’s yesterday at Shakey’s UN Avenue.

Former world champion Jethro Dionisio leads the Philippines’ bid in the tournament featuring the standard, open, classic, production and revolver standard divisions.

Aside from the 32-year-old Grauffel, who won the French National Championship at 15, other favorites are Simon “JJ” Racaza, Rob Leatham, Doug Koenig, Mickey Fowler, John Pride and Mary Grace Tan.

Racaza, a Cebu-born United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) grand master, was part of the US team in the 2010 International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Shooting Championships.