PSA-Chiz Cup shootfest set

MANILA, Philippines - The first Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA)-Sen. Chiz Escudero Cup shooting competition will be held March 1 at the Armscor Shooting Center, first basement of the Makati Cinema Square, ushering in a busy month for the country’s oldest media organization.

No less than Escudero, an active sport shooting enthusiast himself, will conduct a seminar on gun safety and on shooting as a sport.

He will be joined by other Armscor officials led by Benjie Santos, before PSA members coming from the country’s leading broadsheets and tabloids test their marksmanship abilities.

“This is just one of our ways to heighten interest in shooting as a sport, beginning with the sportswriters, who cover sporting competitions themselves,” said Escudero, whose other sporting passions include running, biking and restoration of old cars.

“I believe sport shooting is among the disciplines which the Filipino athlete stands at par with the best of the region, if not the world,” said Escudero.

According to PSA president Teddyvic Melendres, sports editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the PSA’s first activity for the month will start promptly at 10 a.m., beginning with the seminar, before the actual shooting competition is held.

“It will be a busy March for the PSA,” said Melendres, who is leading the organization in honoring the country’s top athletes and sports officials during the PSA Awards Night set March 5 at the Manila Hotel.

There will be two categories for the PSA shooters, mostly newbies, with cash prizes to the top three finishers in the men’s and women’s divisions.

On March 2, the PSA will hold an assembly at the POC-PSC Media Group office.

Member assignments for the prestigious March 5 affair will be discussed.