THE Philippine squad bound for the Hangzhou Asian Games could be missing a potential medal contender in youthful air pistol shooter Carlo Valdez, who tied a 27-year-old national record in the men’s 10-meter air pistol event of the Philippine National Shooting Association monthly eliminations recently at the Philippine Marine Corps shooting range in Taguig City.
In topping the event with a score of 584, Valdez, 22, matched the old national standard set in September 3, 1996 at the same range by Filipino-American Jomike Gonzales, according to former national shotgun shooter Raul Arambulo, a friend of Gonzales’s father and pistol shooter Mike.
Simon Karl Gonzales emerged second (552) while Ditto Nestor Dinopol (548) finished third.
Arambulo lamented the fact that Valdez was not included in the national shooting team for the Hangzhou Asiad.
He said that Valdez had consistently topped the PNSA men’s air pistol qualifiers, adding that last Aug. 6 and 13 he emerged on top with scores of 576 in the 10 m and 558 for the free pistol 50 m, respectively.
“We have a rare gem in Carlo who is a natural for the sport given that he has only been shooting for two years. If properly handled, we could have a potential medalist for the Olympics. The boy has a God-given gift,” Arambulo said.
“I am wondering why the young man was not included by the PNSA in the national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games,” Arambulo said. “It would be a great loss if we do not send this promising young shooter to the competition.
“Hopefully, the Philippine Olympic Committee will see the wisdom of including Valdez to the Asian Games Philippine team,” he added, aware that the final roster of the national contingent will be completed during the Asian Games delegation registration meeting in Hangzhou, China this weekend.
To put the achievement in proper perspective, he said the young shooter’s score tied the runner-up qualification score of 284 set by South Korean Jin Jong-Oh in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
It was also just two points short of the top qualification score of 586 by India’s Saurabh Chaudhary, who went on to clinch the Asian gold medal in the men’s individual 10-meter air pistol event in the finals, according to Arambulo.
Arambulo, a gold medalist in the team trap event of the Southeast Asian Association shooting championships, said Valdez’s latest score would have easily qualified him for the finals of the men’s 10-meter air pistol event in the ISSF World Championships last month in Baku, Azerbaijan.
China’s Zhang Bowen topped the qualifiers with a score of 587 while the eighth and final qualifier, Zamuli Donkov of Bulgaria, scored 582. Bowen ruled the event, duplicating his mint in the 2022 edition in Cairo, Egypt.
Arambulo said that Valdez had proven his mettle in his international debut, finishing fifth with a score of 573 in the men’s 10-meter air pistol qualifiers of the ISSF Asian Cup Rifle/Pistol competition last March in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The shooter finished sixth overall with a score of 192.1 in the finals won by South Korean Kim Mose, who topped the event by shooting 256.5.
