Angeles shoots down gold; Goma, Gonzales misfire

Filipino shooters Juanito Angeles and Ariel Santos scored a 1-2 finish in the practical shotgun automatic event while veteran Eric Ang took home a bronze, making up for another bleak day for the Nationals in day two of shooting competitions held simultaneously at Taguig and Muntinlupa.

Angeles completed the course in 20.47 seconds to win the gold. Santos snared the silver in 20.71 seconds. Singaporean Tan Guan Hua (22.86) won the bronze. In the trap event, Jethro Dionisio, Jaime Recio and Ang failed to retain the crown, which went to Singapore. Team Singapore took the gold with 338 points, the Philippines the silver (336) and Veitnam the bronze (323). Ang took home the bronze in the men’s individual trap, scoring 135 points, just one shy of Singaporeans Choo Choon Seng and Lee Wung Yew, who had identical 136 points. Yew won the shoot out, 4-3 to grab the gold.

Actor-athlete Richard Gomez, who is competing in the shooting and fencing events, lost in his bid for a rare two golds in two different events as he came just 1.27 seconds shy of winning a medal in the practical shotgun pump competition. With wife Lucy Torres and the crowd egging him on, the popular actor completed the course in 27.85 seconds in a determined effort to win.

Thai teenager Pitipoom Phasee foiled the actor’s gallant stand, clocking 26.58 seconds to snare the bronze. Thailand’s Patrachatra Vichiensun (24.82) won gold while Singapore’s Wee Ewe Lay Laurence John (25.07) bagged silver. Filipino shooter Gerard Velez ended at last place, finishing the course in 28.2 seconds.

Veteran shooter Carolino Gonzales failed to win a medal in the 10m men’s air rifle event. Gonzales made it to the finals, only to finish seventh with 657.7 points. Myanmar’s Maung Kyu (680.4) won the gold while Vietnam’s Hoang Xuan Vinh (676.5) bagged silver. Vietnam multi-medalist Jakkrit Panchitpatikum (675.9) of Thailand took the bronze.

In the women’s 25m air pistol, Susan Aguado failed to land a spot in the finals, finishing last in the qualifiers with only 546 points. Malaysia’s Bibiana Ng Pei Chin came from behind to snare the gold, finishing with 770.6 points, just .6 better than Myanmar’s Khin Soe Thaike who tallied 770. Pham Thi Ha (767.5) settled for bronze. — Martin Bolima/Karlo Pineda