Young guns run show

Reversals rocked the monthly NYDP (National Youth Development Program) shooting championships last Sunday, with favored Shanin Gonzales and Dianne Nicole Eufemio biting the dust at the Marines/PSC range in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Gonzales, one of the best young performers in the just-concluded National Open competitions, fell to Ateneo’s Ruth Ricardo in the 18-and-above women’s air pistol event after beating Czarmaine Trajano for the gold in the below-17 category.

Eufemio succumbed to prodigious Venus Tan, a University of Manila scholar, in the 18-and-above women’s air rifle competition.

It was actually Eufemio’s second bitter disappointment, having lost by a point to Carina dela Victoria in the below-17 air rifle match earlier in the day.

Tan produced the day’s only double triumph as she recorded 326 to whip Yanfang Zhu (312) and Nicole Benedico (187) in the women’s air rifle (without jacket) competition.

Ateneo’s Carl Sy and Jayson Valdez, who like Tan was backed by NYDP chaired by reigning national pistol champion Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla, also sparkled in the tournament supported by Spring Cooking Oil, Col. Nicetas Katigbak and Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista.

Sy nipped Mark Manosca by a mere one-tenth of a point for the men’s above-18 air pistol gold, 630.8 to 630.7, while Valdez toppled rated Santino Hermoso, 666.6 to 661.3, in the men’s above-18 air rifle event.