Jayson Valdez, ‘Tac’ Padilla, Emerito Concepcion target medals

PALEMBANG, Indonesia—Young sensation Jayson Valdez and veterans Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla and Emerito Concepcion gun for medals Saturday as the 26th Southeast Asian Games shooting competitions begin at the Jakabaring Sport City range.

The 16-year-old Valdez, entered in the 10-meter air rifle event, where he holds the national record of 595 points, has a solid chance of bagging a medal here.

Seeing action in his 17th straight SEA Games, the 46-year-old Padilla competes in the men’s 25-m standard pistol, while Concepcion, a three-time SEA Games titlist, is entered in the men’s 50-m rifle prone event.

Philippine National Shooting Association (PNSA) president Mikee Romero is pinning his gold medal hopes on Valdez, son of seven-time SEA Games champion Julius Valkdez.

“Jayson is full of talent and is a warrior at heart,” Romero said.

Romero arrived here Friday morning with wife Sheila and daughter to root for the Filipino marksmen, who failed to land a gold in the 2007 SEA Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

In the 2009 Laos SEA Games, Padilla provided the lone bright spot when he snared the rapid fire pistol gold on the last day of shooting action.

While he has given his athletes all-out support, Romero said he was hampered by time constraints to implement a truly comprehensive program for this biennial meet. He took over the PNSA only five months ago.

The other shooting bets are Carolino Gonzales, Mark Lorenz Manosca, Venus Lovelyn Tan, Shanin Lyn Gonzales, Inna Therese Gutierrez, Clarisa Loren Esteves, Andrea Michell and Frances Nicole Medina.