Bolo Cup attracts crack local, foreign shooters

MANILA, Philippines - Over 300 top local and foreign practical shooters are expected to see action in the 10th Demetrio “Bolo” Tuason Cup firing off July 2 at the Armscor Shooting Range in Barangay Fortune, Marikina City.

“We expect our own top practical shooters competing against those from Hongkong, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and the United States. They love to shoot here,” said Armscor Shooting Range president Gina Marie Angangco in yesterday’s PSA forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue branch in Manila.

Armscor Shooting Range executive vice president and tournament director Bob Sajot, for his part, said the event is a “level 3” competition sanctioned by the Philippine Practical Shooting Association and International Practical Shooting Confederation.

“This means that the Bolo Cup is an international event just below the Australasia Championship, which is a level 4, and the World Shoot, a level 5,” said Sajot of the tournament named in honor of Armscor chairman and president Demetrio “Bolo” Tuason.

Tuason is the elder brother of the late PSC chairman Carlos “Butch” Tuason, who was also a former national shooter.

Ancangco said that the championship also serves as part of the tune-up of the national practical shooting team that will see action in Australasia 2010 to be held in Malaysia in November and next year’s World Shoot XVI in Greece.

Both Sajot and Angcangco said that among the top Filipino marksmen competing in the event is former world practical shooting champion Jag Lejano.

They added that event will have 12 pistol stages where each participant will be allowed to use 236 rounds of ammunition at the sprawling two-hectare shooting range owned by leading Filipino arms and ammunition manufacturer/dealer Armscor.

 “Twelve of the 14 bays at the shooting range will be open for the shooters during the three-day event,” Sajot said, adding that categories will be in the standard, production, modified and Open divisions.

He said that there will be a special side event – the Cal. 22 LR Fun Shoot – that will be open for beginners, on top of a firearms show featuring the products of Armscor, STI and Tanfoglio, the last two being top firearms makers from the US and Italy, respectively.

 “We will be selling products of all three companies at discounted prices,” Angcangco said.