Padilla secures Asiad slot, breaks own mark

MANILA, Philippines - Laos Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla shot 581 points in the rapid fire pistol event last Sunday to break his national mark and clinch a slot on the Philippine shooting team to the Asian Games in Guanzhou, China.

“I just happened to be in great form today. I hope I manage to remain sharp and healthy until the Asiad in November,” the 45-year-old Padilla said shortly after pulling away from Robert Donalvo (553) and Ronald Hijastro (538) in the monthly qualifying competition at the PSC-Marine range in Fort Bonifacio.

Aside from ripping his year-old 577 mark and surpassing the 579 criteria, Padilla also had one more reason to celebrate: his tally was better than those recorded by Ukrainian and German shooters who finished 1-2-3 in the Beijing Olympic Games last year.

Gold winner Oleksandr Petriv of Ukraine shot 580 points while Germans Ralf Schumann and Christian Reitz, who ranked second and third, had identical 579s.

Teenager Jayson Valdez, a product of the shooting body’s NYDP (National Youth Development Program), shared the limelight with Padilla by emerging as the top contender for the RP Asiad’s rifle spot.

Using the old rifle of youth head coach Bartolome Teyab, Valdez, 14-year-old Malate Catholic School sophomore, carded 588 to beat multi-gold winner Emerito Concepcion by 10 points in the 10-meter men’s air rifle event.

Valdez’s performance delighted PNSA president Art Macapagal and other execs like Padilla, who also heads NYDP.

Padilla, 45-year-old general manager of his family-owned Spring Cooking Oil, also ruled the standard pistol competition. He tallied 557 to beat Donalvo (543) and Hijastro (521).