IN a timely tribute in the worldwide celebration of Father’s Day yesterday, national air rifle shooter and new Olympic qualifier Jayson Valdez offered his latest achievement to his two “fathers.”
One of them, of course, is none other than his father-coach, former national standout Julius Valdez, 58, who has been his personal mentor since taking up the sport in his early teens.
The other is national rapid fire shooter Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla, who the Olympic-bound Valdez proudly calls “Daddy” for being his benefactor since he took up the sport and emerged as one of the standouts of Padilla’s junior development program in 2009
At 14, he was among the youngest members of the national squad that competed in the Guangzhou Asian Games in China.
“Parang anak ako sa labas ni Daddy Tac,” Valdez quipped, adding: “Mula noon ang ngayon patuloy ang kanyang suporta sa akin halos sa lahat ng international competitions and training ko. My qualifying for the Olympic is for both of them.”
The 2015 Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist recognized the contributions of both his dad and Padilla after learning late Friday night that he had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics through the International Shooting Sport Federation Olympic qualifying system.
Valdez, 25, became the country’s 12th qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics set to start on July 23, joining boxers Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Felix Marcial; pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Carlos Yulo, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, taekwondo jin Kurt Bryan Barbosa, rower Cris Nievarez and weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Erleen Ann Ando.
Reigning US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan will be announced as official qualifiers in golf on June 22.
Valdez’s qualification in shooting ended a two-Olympic cycle drought for the Philippines in the sport. Paul Brian Rosario competed in men’s skeet as a wild card entry in London in 2012.
Based on the ISSF’s Olympic qualifying process, Valdez surpassed the Minimum Qualifying Score, or MQS, in the men’s individual air rifle 10-meter event of 595 points six times during the qualification period from July 24, 2018 to June 6, 2021.
He first did that when he placed 17th with a score 618.6 points in the Indonesia Asian Games in August 2018. He bested the qualifying mark once again with a score 613.1 points in winding up 14th in the Asian Air Gun championships in Kuwait City three months later.
He shot 599.8 points when he placed 29th in the Asian championships in Doha, Qatar the following year while tallying scores of 618.8, 614.6 and 620.0 points in finishing Nos. 103, 75 and 69, respectively, in the Munich, Germany; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Beijing, China legs of the 2019 World Cup series.
“Yes, Jayson is like a son to me and calls me ‘Daddy.’ Parang anak ko na rin ‘yan,” disclosed Padilla, a five-time Southeast Asian Games men’s rapid fire gold medalist, pleased that his protégé had attained his Olympic dream, which is something missing from Padilla’s glittering sports resume.
Padilla said that Valdez is not the only outstanding shooter to emerge from the junior development program that he launched during the time of the late shooting chief Art Macapagal.
He said that air rifle shooter Celdon Arellano, a veteran of the inaugural Singapore Youth Olympic Games in 2014, also emerged from that program.
Despite getting the belated notice from the ISSF, Valdez would go all out to make the country proud in the global games set next month, according to Padilla.
“I have believed in the potential of Jayson from Day 1 and I know that he will excel in Tokyo. He will be an even stronger medal potential once he qualifies (again) for the 2024 Paris Olympics. At 25, he has a lot more years to go,” Padilla said.
“Now that Jayson has qualified for the Olympics, parang ako na rin ‘yan. This is why I feel so happy and fulfilled!” Padilla exclaimed.
