PNSA targets first-ever Olympic gold

The new leadership of the Philippine National Shooting Association headed by its youthful president, businessman-sportsman Mikee Romero, is taking a step in the right direction by aiming to win the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal.

“We need young blood who can infuse new ideas into the group,” aptly said veteran shooter Col. Danilo Gamboa, a former member of the national pistol team from 1975 to 1985.

“Mr. Romero has the feel of the sport, being a member of the trap and moving-target team that regularly participates in the National Open.”

And speaking of young blood, Romero could very well support the youth-oriented program of perennial Philippine rapid-fire champion Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla, the 46-year-old pistol phenom.

The moving spirit behind the PNSA’s National Youth Development Program, Padilla initiated the NYDP mainly to fill the need for fresh faces. Tac is happy and proud that his efforts did not go in vain because the program has paid off handsome dividends, producing national shooters 15-year-old Jayson Valdez (men’s air rifle), Mark Lorenz Mañosca, 18, (men’s air pistol); and Venus Tan, 21, (women’s air rifle), among others.

Padilla even gifted Valdez and Tan with competition guns to boost their chances in future international tournaments.

“These youngsters are the future of the sport,” said Padilla, general manager of the family-owned Spring Cooking Oil.

The most consistent Filipino athlete insofar as local and international shooting competitions are concerned, he will be making a record 17th appearance in the Southeast Asian Games scheduled in Indonesia this coming November. He is also a many-time Asian Games campaigner and multiwinner of many National Open championships.

With Padilla teaming up with Romero, owner of the Harbour Centre port terminals, many are brimming with newfound enthusiasm that it’s about time the Philippines won that elusive Olympic gold.

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At first glance, it would appear to be an impossible dream because the odds are not only formidable but simply against our ill-equipped, undertrained and inexperienced marksmen compared to their counterparts in developed countries in Europe, as well as China, the United States, North Korea and the formerly war-ravaged Vietnam.

Still, the PNSA believes that everything is possible under the sun as it banks on the all-out support of the government, in particular the Philippine Sports Commission through PSC chair Ritchie Garcia and commissioner Buddy Andrada, who were reported as having already started the importation of the badly needed training and competition ammunition.

This, plus the backing of the private firms awash with cash, augurs well for the sport. This public-private teamup, a first-class partnership by any measure, will help boost the Philippines’ long-sought dream of bagging the first gold medal in the modern Olympic Games.

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SHOOTING TRIVIA: The Philippines made its Olympic shooting debut in the 1936 Berlin Games by fielding a two-man team composed of Martin Gison and Otoniel Gonzaga, who both saw action in the mini rifle 50-meter ring and target pistol 50m ring events. Gison also competed in succeeding Olympics, namely London (1948), which marked the resumption of the modern Games after World War II; Helsinki (1952), Melbourne (1956) and Tokyo (1964). An all-round shooter, Gison also showed his savvy in the following events: 50m pistol, 50m small bore rifle, 25m rapid fire pistol, 50m free pistol, 25m silhouette, 300m free rifle and small bore rifle 3-position.