Shooters can’t find range, miss gold

Pinoy shooters failed to close the shooting events of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games with a bang.

The RP squad suffered another medal shutout yesterday but still finished fourth overall, as the weeklong shooting competition pitting the region’s sharpest shooters formally ended at the shooting ranges in Taguig and Muntinlupa.

At the Fort Bonifacio Shooting Range, Paramaporn Ponglaokham added to Thailand’s golden harvest, winning the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions event despite struggling in the finals. Vietnam bets Nguyen Thi Hang and Nguyen Thi Hua bagged silver and bronze, respectively, charging in the finals with deadeye accuracy. No Filipino shooter competed in the event.

Over at the Clay Target Shooting Range in Muntinlupa, Eric Ang and AnnaMaria Gana foundered in their respective divisions in the double trap.

Ang, bronze medalist in the individual trap event, landed fifth with 143 points. Zain Amat from Singapore won the gold with 173 while Thailand’s Puai Khamgasem (156) pulled away with the silver. Bronze went to Malaysia’s Khor Seng Chye with 162.

In the women’s event, Gana’s 67 points was not enough to win her a medal as she bowed to 15-year-old Janejira Srisongkram of Thailand, who took the gold with 93. Hoang Thi Tuat (81) and Chattaya Kitcharoen (79) snared the silver and bronze medals, respectively. — Martin Dale Bolima and Karlo Jose Pineda