Enrile says practical shooting on target

MANILA, Philippines - UNA senatorial candidate Jack Enrile yesterday expressed confidence that the sport of practical shooting will continue to bring honors to the country while fostering responsible gun ownership among Filipinos.

The founder of the Philippine Practical Shooting Association (PPSA), Enrile lauded the triumphant campaign of the Philippine team in the recently concluded Handgun Championships hosted by New Zealand.

“We captured a total of 63 medals in the event held under the auspices of the Australian International Practical Shooting Confederation. Of our total medal haul, 30 are gold, 22 are silver and 11 are bronzes,” said Enrile.

He said the many PPSA-sanctioned shooting competitions in the country honed up the competitive skills of Filipino sports shooters that they are able to compete among the very best in the world.

The New Zealand drew a heavy field of 750 participants from 25 countries.

Enrile founded the PPSA in 1982 at a time when practical sport shooting competitions were unheard of in the country. With an initial membership base of only 60 practical sport shooting aficionados, the PPSA has now grown to about 3,000 members.

The PPSA has also hosted a couple of world shooting championships while producing world champions like Athena Lee and Jethro Dionisio.

“The PPSA has brought the sport in the country to world standards and this is very evident with our medal haul in New Zealand. All of this has been accomplished without fanfare and government funding,” said Enrile, who is a reservist officer in the Philippine Marines.