Ph Shooters to fire Brazil first before Paris Olympics main target

FOR more than two decades no female shooter competed in the Olympic Games since Rasheya Luis took part in the 2000 in Sydney, Australia.

Amparo Acuna and Franchette Shayne Quiroz try to duplicate the feat of Luis. Before they can follow the footsteps of Luis, Acuna and Quiroz must pass the nine days qualification with flying colors in Brazil to book a trip ticket to the 2024 Paris Summer Games.

The qualification fires off until April 19 in Rio de Janeiro, site of the 2016 edition where Hidilyn Diaz won the silver and four years later bagged the coveted gold in Tokyo and boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam got silver and Felix Eumir Marcial bronze.

In an exclusive interview after brief conversation with Philippine Sport Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann, Philippine National Shooting Association secretary general Iryne Garcia exudes optimism Acuna and Quiroz pass the qualifying and earn a trip ticket to Paris.

“We in the shooting community are hoping and praying they make it to Paris,” said Garcia. Garcia, however, candidly admitted their quest for Olympic berth is tough because they are range against world class shooters like them also want to compete in the Olympics.

“They are in top shape physically and mentally. They are in high spirits and determined to make it to Paris. They trained in Germany refining and polishing their shooting skills to perfection in preparation for the qualifying in Brazil,” noted Garcia.

“We must keep on trying because if the top two finishers in each event in the remaining qualifiers have already clinched the quota, it passes on to the other top finishers,” stressed Garcia.

Acuna and Quiroz left last Easter Sunday for Brazil, ten days before the start of the qualifying featuring the best shooters in the world organized by the International Shooting Federation. Acuna competes in rifle and Quiroz in pistol. Quiroz eclipsed two national records in the Asian Shooting Championship held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Quiroz missed the two spots in the Jakarta Continental qualifying and failed to earn an Olympic slot.

Quiroz, 27, ranked No 8 in the world ranking and No 70 in the Olympic Qualification placing in the 25m air pistol and climbed to No. 80th in 10m air pistol Olympic ranking. She ranked 12th in the world in the 10 meters. The next qualifying will be held in April 19-29 sa Doha, Qatar. The qualifying window ends on June 30.

The shooters failed to book a trip ticket in the qualifying held last February in Kuwait and Indonesia. Tokyo Olympian Jayson Valdez and Enrique Enriquez compete in skeet, Hagen Topacio trap and 2012 London Olympians Bryan Rosario skeet. The Philippine Sports Commission bankrolled the participation of the shooters supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee .