Youth-laden shoot team SEAG-bound

MANILA, Philippines - A banner field of young marksmen coming from the Philippine National Shooting Association’s National Youth Development Program will see action in the coming 26th Southeast Asian Games this November in Indonesia.

This year’s 11-strong team, the youngest ever formed in shooting in any multi-event international conclave, is made up of eight products of the three-year-old NYDP initiated by bemedaled national marksman Nathaniel “Tac,” Padilla, who despite their tender age have made their mark in the national and international arenas.

Padilla, himself, heads the squad with fellow veterans Emerito “Mae” Concepcion and Carolino “Carol” Gonzales.

Other members of the young but hungry team are new range sensation Jayson Valdez, the youngest at 16 but the most promising,  Mark Lorenz Manosca, 19, Clarissa Esteves, 19, Andrea Faustman, 21, Venus Lovelyn Tan, 21, Shannin Gonzales, Inna Therese Gutierrez and Frances Nicole Medina.

Valdez, Manosca, Esteves, Faustman and Tan appeared as guests in yesterday’s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura along with coach Bartolome Teyab and Julius Valdez, Jayson’s father.

Both Teyab and Julius Vadez are themselves former national shooters who had gifted the country no less than two dozens gold medals in various international fronts.

“They’re still young and need more international experience, but they will be out there in the range fighting for the country,” Teyab said during the session sponsored by Coca Cola Export, FILA, TV 5 and UNTV. “Sayang nga inalis ng organizers and team competition, sana malakas tayo in both men’s and women’s divisions. Nut laban and mga bata natin. Mas guton sila kesa mga kalaban.”  

The younger Valdez, Manosca , Tan and Gutierrez and Medina have international experience having represented the county in several foreign competitions like the Asian Games , Souhteast Asian Shooting Association Championships and Singapore Open.

The statuesque 5-foot-8 stunner Faustman and Esteves are both Philippine team first timers from Ateneo, while Gonzales is the daughter of Carolino Gonzales, a 10-meer air pistol ace.

Valdez, who only recently set a new Philippine record 595 points in the 10-meter air rifle event in the last national championships, beating Concepcion in the process said he hopes to translate his silver medal finish in the recent SEASA shootfest into gold medal, adding he also has a chance for a medal finish in at least of his two other events – prone and three-position disciplines.

Valdez, a taekwondo black belt before trying his luck in shooting, ,  and Concepcion, actually will be leaving for Kuwait this Sunday to compete in the Asian All-Air Gun Championships.

Sa  Asian All-Air Gun po, target ko ma-qualify man lang sa finals. Kasi world-class na ang mga makakalaban ko. Pero sa SEA Games, yung iniskor ko na 595, gold medal nay un. At yun na nga ang magiging target ko,” Valdez said.

All those in SCOOP attendance expressed their gratitude for what they said Padilla has done to their career, especially in furnishing them with modern equipment, like purchasing guns for them, bullets and all their needs so they can be competitive.

“We might not have the needed international exposure, pero gagawin po naming lahat para makapag-uwi ng medalya para sa bansa at maibalik na rink ay Sir Tac ang mga ginawa niya sa amin,” Tan, who like Valdez started his sports career as a taekwondo jin, said.

Manosca, a native of Taguig City agreed, saying: “Kung hindi po kay Sir Tac hindi naming mararating itong kinalalagyan naming. Siya nga po ang lumaban para makasama kami sa national team. Kaya ipinangangako ko, in particular, na gagawin ko ang lahat para mabigyan ng karangalan ang Pilipinas sa darating na SEA Games.”