Philippine shooting body aims for 2028 Olympics amid recruitment woes
NAGOYA, Japan — The Philippine National Shooting Association (PNSA) is working to build a deeper athlete pool and produce a Filipino shooter who can qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
But for PNSA president and Isabela Rep. Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III, the mission remains firm despite mounting challenges that have reshaped the landscape of the sport.
Grassroots recruitment, once the lifeblood of the national shooting program, has become increasingly difficult following recent shooting incidents in Philippine schools.
These events have heightened public fear and tightened restrictions around firearms, making parents more hesitant to allow their children to explore shooting as a sport.
Dy, who also chairs the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development, acknowledged the gravity of the challenge.
“Other countries have a good shooting program because they train at an early age. Bata pa lang pinapahawak na ng baril,” Dy said, referring to nations from the former Soviet bloc where early training is standard.
“In the Philippines, it’s now getting more difficult to promote and recruit because of the shooting incidents in schools. This is our challenge in the sport of shooting. We’re thinking of ways how to reverse the mentality to promote the sport. What we really need is responsible gun ownership,’’ Dy emphasized.
To balance safety with development, coaches have recommended starting Filipino shooters at 15 years old, an age where athletes are strong enough to handle the weight of firearms without risking hand deformities.
Despite recruitment hurdles, the sport is set for a transformative boost. The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), under Chairman Patrick Gregorio, has committed to building a multi?story shooting facility inside the Philsports Complex in Pasig City.
The facility will feature 50?meter, 25?meter, and 10?meter ranges, covering all Olympic shooting disciplines, plus several non?Olympic events. The shotgun training venue will remain at the Bureau of Corrections in Muntinlupa.
“This new facility will finally give our shooters a home, a complete venue where they can train consistently and safely,’’ said Dy.
“It will raise our standards, attract more athletes, and allow us to even host international?level competitions. We are deeply grateful to Chairman Patrick Gregorio and the PSC for believing in the future of Philippine shooting,” he added.
Beyond recruitment, the financial demands of elite shooting remain daunting. A member of the Philippine national team typically fires 1,000 rounds per month, already a heavy expense for athletes and the federation.
But powerhouse nations operate on a different scale entirely. Qatar, for example, reportedly provides 80,000 rounds per shooter per year, giving their athletes unmatched advantage. Middle Eastern countries also hire the world’s best coaches, further widening the competitive gap.
“It’s hard to compete with the advantage that these countries have,” Dy admitted. “But we cannot stop pursuing our dream of Filipinos qualifying in the Olympics, so we have to think of ways to become better. Our goal is still to qualify for the 2028 Olympics.”
To strengthen its ranks, the PNSA has tapped athletes from the Philippine Army and is exploring a partnership with the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), institutions with disciplined, physically prepared individuals who could transition well into shooting.
The key, Dy stressed, is ensuring these athletes are allowed to train consistently with the national squad.
The Philippines fielded a 10?member shooting delegation at the ongoing Asian Games here, a mix of rifle, pistol, and shotgun specialists carrying the country’s colors in one of the sport’s deepest fields.
Veteran rifle shooters Jayson Valdez and Amparo Acuña led the charge in the 10?meter and 50?meter events, while the pistol squad of Franchette Quiroz, Julius Chua, and Nicole Marie Tagle took on the precision?heavy 10?meter and 25?meter categories.
In the shotgun disciplines, Hagen Alexander Topacio, Carlos Carag, and Angelie Marie Sarmiento stepped into the trap and skeet ranges, continuing the Philippines’ tradition of producing competitive clay?target shooters.
The country also fielded mixed teams, with Valdez and Acuña pairing up in rifle, and Quiroz joining Chua in pistol.
Olympic qualification officially starts at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of October, where shooters begin accumulating points toward LA 2028. Another qualifying event follows in Egypt in December.
“There’s a point system to qualify to the Olympics. There’s a certain number of points that they have to reach in every category,” Dy explained.
The road ahead is steep marked by recruitment challenges, financial constraints, and global competition that grows tougher each year.
But with a new world?class facility rising in Pasig, stronger institutional partnerships, and a renewed push toward Olympic qualification, Philippine shooting is entering a new era.
“We have to keep getting better. We will not stop,” said Dy. (Pool story)
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