Army shooters train sights on ASEAN golds

MANILA, Philippines - A 40-man contingent of Army shooters, headed by Sgt. Allan Lao and Corporal Rodney Rizano, vies in the annual ASEAN Armies Rifle (AARM), confident of its chances in four events, which starts tomorrow in Indonesia.

“We had trained for five months now. We will be fielding shooters for different events including Pistol, Rifle, Machine Gun, and Carbine Categories,” said Lt. Col. Ricky Bunayog, the Commander of the Army’s Marksmanship Training Unit.

The Army shooting squad, which leaves for Jakarta today, is one of the best teams in the ASEAN region. In 2005, the Army marksmen won the overall championship for winning the most number of gold medals in Brunei Darussalam. They also made a good account of themselves in various international meets, including the Australian Army Skills-at-Arms Training.

Lao and Rizano are among the consistent gold medalists the past 10 years. They led the Army team which dominated the Philippine Marines, Philippine National Police and civilian competitors in the PNSA rifle competitions in Taytay, Rizal.

Another top-caliber pistol shooter, Major Wilfredo Martin, a national team mainstay, is currently competing in the IPSC World Championship in Athens, Greece. The IPSC event is a top practical shooting competition participated in by prominent shooters around the world.