Jethro, pals miss shot at gold

KUALA LUMPUR (Via Globe Telecoms) — World practical shooting champion Jethro Dionisio narrowly missed completing a Cinderella finish in his debut in trap event in the 21st SEA Games shooting competition, losing practically by a hairline to Singapore’s Kwa Eng Cheong.

Eight birds off the pace after the 75-target opening round, Dionisio won the silver by rallying with a 47 in the 50-target second round then firing a 23 in the final for a total score of 135. That was just a bird behind Kwa’s winning score of 135 behind steady rounds of 68-47-21 at the Subang Shooting Range.

Malaysia’s Charles Cheng, tied with Kwa at second after the initial round, settled for third place with 131 with first-day leader Lee Wung Yew also of Singapore finishing outside of the Magic Three after faltering with a final series of 41-19 for 130.

Dionisio’s teammates Jaime Recio and Eric Ang didn't do so well.

After both shooting 66 for fourth in the first round, Recio and Ang lost their touch in the 50-target second round and missed the final. Recio failed to defend his title with a 105 total. Ang had 108.

With Recio and Ang unable to keep up with Dionisio’s pace, the three also settled for the silver in the team competition, losing the gold by four birds to Kwa, Lee and teammate Cheng Seng Mok.

The Singaporeans totaled 329 to the Filipinos’ 325. The Thai team of Gary Goh, Charles Chen and Leong Wei Heng grabbed the bronze with 322.

Incidentally, the Philippines surpassed its 322 score when it won the team gold in the Brunei Games.

In 10m air pistol for women, the team of Therese Cantada, Susan Aguado and Ma. Lourdes Ramirez amassed 1107 for fourth place behind Malaysia with 1126, Thailand with 1113 and Vietnam with 1111.