4 Pinoy archers target Rio berths

MANILA, Philippines – A four-member Philippine team gets one last crack at a coveted stint to the Rio Olympics when it competes in the Archery World Cup Stage 3-Olympic Qualifying event on June 12-19 in Antalya, Turkey.

London campaigner Rachel Anne Cabral-de la Cruz guns for a return trip to the Olympiad in the women’s recurve, alongside Baguio’s Kareel Meer Hongitan, while Youth Olympics mixed event gold medalist Gab Moreno and veteran Florante Matan vie in the men’s recurve.

The Pinoy hawkeyes aim to earn quota places for the Philippines against rivals who are similarly determined to catch the last bus to Rio.  

The World Archery Philippines expressed confidence the Pinoy archers will perform to expectations in the Olympic qualifier, having consistently hit Olympic scores during their two-month training at Sevilla Archery Range in Quezon City.

Likewise, archers who have already earned Olympic berths to Rio through earlier World and Continental Championships are no longer in the picture in the Antalya qualifiers, making it a free-for-all for those cramming for slots.

The Filipino bow and arrow aces look to preserve a tradition in the Olympiad that started in 2000. Since Jennifer Chan suited up in Sydney, they have regularly sent participants to the Olympiad with Jasmine Figueroa (2004 Athens), Mark Javier (2008 Beijing), and Javier and Dela Cruz (2012 London) representing the Philippines.

Veteran Amaya Paz-Cojuangco also sees action in women’s compound, a non-Olympic event, in the Antalya competition.