Romero: PNSA to stage South East shootfest

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Shooting Association president Mikee Romero yesterday announced that the Philippines has been awarded the right to host the 2013 South East Asian Shooting Association (SEASA) Championships.

Aside from the Philippines, other countries which vied for next year’s hosting of the event that draws 15 countries were Myanmar and Thailand.

Romero said it was at the close of the 2012 SEASA Championships in Kuala Lumpur last June 10 that the Philippines was named the next host. He said the PNSA is looking at May 27 to June 6 as the date for the international shootfest.

“It’s about time the Philippines hosts another major international shooting event. It will also coincide with the holding of the Philippine Open shootfest,” said Romero during yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s along UN Ave.

Also present during the forum sponsored by Smart Sports and Pagcor were the medalists in the recent SEASA event, including Jason Valdez, Frances Nicole Medina, Inna Therese Gutierrez, Celdon Arellano, Eric Ang, Miguel Laperal, Joelle Panganiban and Ylvana Dy.

They won a gold, courtesy of Ang, a veteran trap shooter, two silvers and three bronzes.

Gay Corral, PNSA vice president, worked hard for the country’s bid to host the SEASA Championships, and said the other member countries were also delighted to have it staged in Manila.

“Since the SEASA Championships was first staged in 1967, the Philippines has hosted it only twice, in 1979 and 1998. And it will be the first major international shootfest for us since we hosted the Manila SEA Games in 2005,” said Corral.

“Everybody’s excited to come here,” said Corral, adding that they expect as many as 400 shooters and 200 officials from the foreign countries that include those who are not competing in the SEA Games, like Hong Kong, Chinese-Taipei and Macau.

Romero said competition will be held in different venues, and with enough time left the PNSA will make sure the venues will meet international standards. There will be pistol, rifle and shotgun events, and he said they’re looking at including practical shooting in the roster.

Romero said the Philippines fielded only 13 shooters in the 2011 SEASA Championships in Laos, and increased the number to 21 this year. When it hosts the event, the PNSA expects as many as 80 local shooters to vie for the medals.

The Filipino shooters that competed in Kuala Lumpur, except for Ang, are all in their teens.

“And this is not the core yet. We expect to produce more of them. But we’re happy with their performance. Definitely, these shooters and the generations to come can bring home our first gold in the Olympics,” said Romero.

“These guys, along with our bet to the London Olympics, Brian Rosario, can do it,” he added.