Phl World Rimfire stint a boost to local shooting

MANILA, Philippines - The performance of the Filipino campaigners in the second World Rimfire and Air Rifle World Cup staged in Plzen, Czech Republic serves as a breakthrough that could spark public interest in the young yet uniquely challenging sport of benchrest rifle shooting.

“Definitely, our victories in the World Cup was a breakthrough for our young sport in the country,” said Dondi Santos, a member of the squad that bagged silver medals in two team events in the shootfest featuring over 200 participants from 22 countries.

Santos, Marlon Palmario and Felino Neri tallied 2,198 points to cop the silver in the 50-meter rimfire event, just  10 points behind the UIT Italy Team B (2,208), and ahead of bronze medalist Finland Team A, which had the same score  as the Filipinos but had  three lesser bulls-eyes (84-87).

The team of Randy Paronda, Bernadette Gan and Luis Gonzales narrowly lost the gold medal in the Heavy Varmint 25-meter event, placing second with a total score of 2,249 points, just one point behind UIT Italy Team A (2,250).

The Filipinos edged UIT Italy Team B, which also scored 2,249, by scoring more x’s (bulls-eyes), 161-154.

Apart from the silver medal from the team event, 41-year-old businessman, Paronda  joins an elite group of shooters that was given a 250 pin award for shooters who have scored a perfect 250 in international completion in the 25m air rifle and/or the 50-meter rimfire events.

This meant that Paronda hit the pinhead-sized  bulls-eye, worth 10 points each,  in  all of the 25 targets in the target sheet.   

The trio of Santos, Palmario and Neri could have added a bronze medal to the Philippine collection in the 25-meter rimfire sporter division, but was relegated to fourth place after the organizers realized they failed to include the score of the German team, which officially ruled the event. 

The team was also awarded the World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Federation Presidential Award for Good Sportsmanship “which we felt was more prestigious than all the medals we won,” Santos said.

Philippine National Shooting Association president Col. Danilo Gamboa lauded the achievements of the shooters, saying “here is another event where we can excel in international competition. You have made our countrymen proud.”

Santos thanked PNSA vice president Richard Fernandez for introducing benchrest shooting to the Philippines two years ago “and was the moving spirit and our inspiration as our delegation head during the World Cup.”

Fernandez was invited to become a member of the WRABF executive committee, he added.

“We have come home armed with a better understanding of the sport, which we will implement in our training for the next World Cup to be held in Brisbane, Australia in July 2015,” Santos said.