Padilla, Valdez shine in national shooting championships

MANILA, Philippines - Multi-titled Tac Padilla stamped his class in his pet event while rising star Jayson Valdez redeemed himself with a victory over veteran campaigner Emerito Concepcion in the 2011 PNSA National Open Championships at the Philippine Sports Commission-Philippine National Shooting Association Shooting Range in Fort Bonifacio over the weekend.

Padilla ruled the 25m center fire pistol last Sunday with almost the same flair in winning five SEA Games gold medals, including the Laos edition two years ago.

The 47-year-old Padilla, who will be competing in the SEAG in Indonesia next month for a record 17th time, tallied 563 points to beat long-time rival Robert Donalvo by 12 points.

Patrick Chuasoto fired 546 to finish third, beating Padilla’s brother, Donald, by four points in the event presented by Harbour Centre and AirAsia.

“It was a tough and exciting match, but I struggled early because I arrived only last Friday,” said Padilla. “But I have a lot of catching up to do in terms of preparation. We have to prepare very hard for the coming SEA Games.”

Valdez, on the other hand, humbled Concepcion in the 50m rifle prone behind a final round charge in the annual tournament organized by the Philippine National Shooting Association, headed by Harbour Centre CEO and president Mikee Romero.

Both finished with similar 576 points but the 15-year-old Malate Catholic School star had a 96 in the final round against Concepcion’s 93.

With the win, Valdez avenged his one-point defeat to three-time SEA Games gold winner Concepcion in the 10m Air Rifle last week where he tallied 583. Rocky Padilla wound up third with 571 points.

Franes Nicole Medina, who needed perfect scores in the final two rounds – fifth and sixth – edged Inna Therese Gutierez in the women’s 50m rifle prone. She finished with a 579 to nip the Southeast Asian Shooting Championships silver medallist by four points.

Other winners in the second of the four-week event were SEA Games-bound Shanin Gonzales in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, veteran Carolino Gonzales in the 50m Pistol and Ronald Donalvo in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol.