Phl pins golden bid on shooters in AYG

MANILA, Philippines - The chef-de-mission of the Philippine team to the second Asian Youth Games scheduled this August in Nanjing, China is looking at a handful athletes who can strike gold for the country.

“We will be aiming for the gold in Nanjing,” said Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla, a multi-titled shooter, in yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Joining Padilla in the weekly forum were shooters Celdon Jude Arellano and Amparo Teresa Acuna with coach Julius Valdez and weightlifter Marko Llena with father-coach Leo Llena.

Padilla, a gold medalist in the 1976 World Junior Championships in Mexico and five-time SEA Games champion, has high hopes on these athletes.

He said Arellano and Acuna, a second-year high school student at St. Paul’s Pasig, have already been breaking local records as well as the criteria for the Southeast Asian Games.

“They’ve been beating shooters who are their seniors. Acuna (prone position) is already a shoo-in in this year’s SEA Games where Celdon’s event (10m air rifle) will not be played,” said Padilla.

“I’m proud to represent our country. This is a great opportunity,” said Acuna, who like Celdon will vie in the 10m air rifle in Nanjing. She just turned 16 the other day.

A total of 56 athletes to be accompanied by around 17 coaches will represent the country in the AYG which is reserved for those born within the years 1996 to 1999.

Aside from Arellano, Acuna and Llena, the 48-year-old Padilla is also counting on the Richardson twins, Kyla and Kayla, of athletics, Jeremy Brian Lim and Catherine Bondad of aquatics, and the teams in basketball (3-on-3), golf and rugby 7s.

This year’s AYG is set Aug. 16 to 24. It serves as a qualifying to the Youth Olympics scheduled in 2014 also in Nanjing.

The Philippines competed in the first AYG in 2009 in Singapore and brought home a silver and a bronze courtesy of javelin thrower Stephanie Cimatu and bowler Colins Jose.

“Unfortunately, bowling is not included this time. So, we just lost a silver medal there,” said Padilla, who was only 12 when he won in Mexico in 1976.

He said it’s not going to be easy to win a medal in Nanjing.

“We are facing a very tough field. But the commitment from our athletes is there. Let’s just hope they can all perform well,” Padilla said.

The AYG is expected to draw thousands of athletes from the Olympic Council of Asia member countries.

The Philippines will compete in athletics, aquatics, basketball (3-on-3), badminton, fencing, golf, judo, rugby football 7s, tennis, table tennis, shooting and weightlifting. The Philippines has no entries in football, handball and squash.