Philippines eyes hosting of 2012 Olympic shoot fest

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

IN A BID to produce new crop of talents, the Philippines is eyeing to host the Youth Olympic Shooting Camp next year.

The plan has already been conveyed to Asian Shooting Confederation president Sheik Salman Al Sabah of Kuwait, said Mikee Romero, president of the Philippine National Shooting Association (PNSA).

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"We will learn a lot from this two-week shooting camp since current and former Olympians and coaches coming from all over the world would converge and teach the young turks the ABC’s of shotgun shooting," he said.

Also bidding to host the two-week event slated in June are Malaysia and Singapore.

“The Sheik has promised to help us, so I hope we will win the right to host the event. If that happens, I’m very sure we can produce a lot of world class shooters not only in shotgun,” Romero said.

The Olympic Council of Asia, according to Romero, is also pushing vigorously for the staging of the youth camp and is willing to sponsor the participation of the delegates from 43 nations.

If the country wins the right to host the shooting camp, Romero said organizers will need the help of the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission in building a shotgun shooting range that meets international standards.

PNSA executive director Larry Paredes, meanwhile, asked the ASC to grant PNSA the right to host an international jury certification course seminar so that more Filipinos would be eligible to referee or jury in the international arena once certified to be a jury. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)