Around 300-350 shooters are expected to join the 46th Southeast Asian Shooting Association Championships from Nov. 24 to Dec. 14.
The tournament features practical shooting, sporting clays, bench rest, and Olympic shotgun which includes both trap and skeet shooting.
“It’s almost like a fiesta. We’re pretty excited about it, although a bit tiring to prepare,” said Philippine National Shooting Association (PNSA) secretary-general Irene Garcia during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the VIP Room of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum Tuesday.
“It’s not really our first time to host it, but it’s going to be the biggest multi-shooting event that the Philippines will be hosting for the year,” she added.
The competition will be held in coordination with the Philippine Practical Shooting Association (PPSA).
“We just want the whole shooting community to work together, because at the end of the day, Filipinos love to shoot, we really do. And we really excel in shooting,” said Garcia in the weekly session also attended by bench rest shooter Richard Cases.
Hagen Topacio, Eric Ang, and Olympian Jethro Dionisio will lead the trap shooters, while Enrique Leandro Enriquez and Olympian Bryan Rosario are in the skeet event.
Among the entries in the women’s division are Valerie Levanza, Abby Cuyong, Amparo Acuna, and Franchette Quiroz.
“This will also gauge how we’re doing in Southeast Asia for the SEA Games next year,” said Garcia as the Filipino shooters will face top bets from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
The tournament will be held at the Magnus-Frontsight Firing Range in Lipa City, Batangas (practical shooting on Nov. 24-Dec. 2), Marine Corps Training Center in Taguig City (bench rest on Nov. 25-Dec. 5 and pistol events on Nov. 25-30) and NCSAP Firing Range, Laperal Farm in Lipa, Batangas (sporting clays on Nov. 30-Dec. 9). (PNA)