Meanwhile, Macapagal said he isn’t giving up on the country’s gunners even if the favorite shotgun events of trap and skeet are absent in the SEA Games calendar.

“There are still a few more events up in Laos and I am optimistic that the remaining shooters can deliver,” he said.

Nathaniel (Tac) Padilla, Robert Donalvo and Ronaldo Hejastro will shoot in rapid fire today then center fire on Friday. Shanin Gonzales, 15, competes in the 25-meter sport pistol tomorrow. No Filipino is competing in the other shooting events left in the calendar.

The PSC provided assistance and benefits to five of the country’s 11 shooters in Laos. The five are Emerito Concepcion, Donalvo, Carolino Gonzales, Padilla and Hejastro. The others were accredited by the POC, namely, Eddie Tomas, Rocky Pardilla, Edwin Fernandez, Shanin Gonzales, Ruth Ricardo and Padilla’s 18-year-old daughter Mica.

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“Shanin is definitely one of our rising shooting stars,” noted PSC Chairman Harry Angping and PNSA president Art Macapagal, who were both impressed by the winners’ performances since they all fired under pressure.

The other gold medalists in the tourney organized by PNSA/NYDP, sponsored by Spring Cooking Oil and supported by Thermax Ltd., 15B Match Diabolo, Dental First A, Venue Hotel, Bio Essence, Club Balai Isabel, Water Philippines and Cherry Mobile are:

Tagaytay’s Simon Gonzales, 641.3, men’s air pistol; Malate Catholic School’s Jayson Valdez, 678.4, men’s air rifle; Miriam College’s Dianne Nicole Eufemio, 480.5, QC; University of Manila’s Venus Tan, 362, women’s air rifle without jacket; Joshua Dominique, 264, men’s and women’s air rifle (bench rest); Jethro Palma, 283, men’s women’s air pistol (bench rest); Dervin Tan (Ateneo) /Shanin Gonzales, 209.6, air pistol mixed team; and Jayson Valdez (Malate)/ Jean Alexis Go (Ateneo), 195.9, air rifle mixed team.

Shanin Gonzales and Dianne Nicole Eufemio also won special awards and cash prizes for their exemplary scores, together with Padilla, daughter of reigning national pistol champion and NYPD chair Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla, Ricardo Valdez, Marie Isabelle Eufemio, Tan and Irish Palma.

Valdez, also 14 who uses an old rifle, turned out to be the luckiest gold medalist. During the awarding rites, Chairman Angping congratulated Valdez and, noticing his rifle, promised to buy him a new one.

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines is sending a six-strong delegation to Singapore for the inaugural Asian Schools Shooting Championships set from July 27 to Aug. 2.

Spearheading the team are Shanin Gonzales of Tagaytay and Mica Padilla of Assumption College who will vie in the women’s air pistol.

Mica is the daughter of multi-titled shooter Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla, who is also chair of the National Youth Development Program of the Philippine National Shooting Association.

Dianne Eufemio of Quezon City and Carinna dela Victoria of Tagaytay are entered in the women’s air rifle event, while Simon Gonzales, also of Tagaytay, and Santino Hermoso of De La Salle University will see action in the men’s air pistol and men’s air rifle, respectively.

The players made the grade after impressing PNSA president Art Macapagal and Padilla during the 1st Mayor Freddie Tinga and the 1st Art Macapagal youth competitions.

“I’m confident that we can produce future champions,” said Macapagal.

Padilla said he plans to expand the program to the countryside with the arrival of new models of world-class air pistols and rifles. Cedelf P. Tupas

Simon Gonzales, Shanin Gonzales and Carina de la Victoria, lead Tagaytay Team and are the INSPIRATION for Tagaytay Youth in pursuing this mind game.

To these youth of the present generation, you are our pride.