A DELUGE of gold medals in a sport staged in the Southeast Asian Games for the first time ever fueled the Philippines' best day in a single sport so far.
The Philippines won four gold medals in practical shooting, courtesy of world champ Rolly Nathaniel Tecson, Edcel John Gino, Genesis Pible, and Erin Mattea Micor after three days of competition at the THPSA Shooting Range on Monday.
READ PH practical shooting team captures four SEA Games gold medals
Tecson and Micor lived up to their billing as medalists in the 2025 International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) Handgun World Shoots after topping the men's standard individual and women's open individual events, respectively.
Gino and Pible, meanwhile, ruled the men's and women's production optic individual categories.
"From the very first day up until sa last, nakaya natin maging consistent and na-minimize natin ‘yung mga errors kaya sobrang happy,” said Tecson.
Tecson is the reigning world champion in his event, but he feels more appreciated by the government after winning in the SEA Games than when he won in the World Shoots.
“Nakaka-proud kasi ngayon, siguro ma-recognize na kami ng government. Kasi before, may world championship kami, which was in South Africa this last September, pero hindi kasi siya ganoon ka-supported ng government," said Tecson.
"Ngayon, itong SEA Games, nabigyan ng chance ‘yung sport namin na maisali and sobrang nakaka-proud lang na makapag-uwi sa Pilipinas ng gold.”
Tecson garnered 1,680.7889 points to edge compatriot Kahlil Adrian Viray (1,625.2256) for the gold. But since a country can win only one medal per event, Viray missed the podium as Thailand's Nathawat Nokthaisong and Indonesia's Hans Christian Pratama got silver and bronze, respectively.
The youngest in her event at 17, Micor outclassed her significantly older opponents with a score of 1,399.3154, defeating 26-year-old Sarah Ayu Tamaela of Indonesia and 36-year-old Mintra Pramote of Thailand.
“I was really surprised noong nanalo ako since they’re older, they have a lot more experience,” said Micor, a silver medalist at the World Shoots. “I wasn’t really expecting anything much, mas nag-expect po ako siguro second or probably third. Pero may confidence din po ako na I was going to get first place.”
Gino totaled 1,654.0344 points, while Pible registered 1,293.7900 points as they both beat their closest Thai contenders.
The Philippine team was so good and so deep it won a medal in all eight events as Evelyn Woods (women’s production individual) bagged a silver, while Gerard Loy (men’s open individual), Stefanie Kathrene Lee (women’s standard individual), Aeron John Lanuza (men’s production individual) contributed bronzes.
“Napakalaking karangalan ito para sa amin and siyempre sa buong Pilipinas. Proud na proud kami na nakakuha kami ng gold medals dito sa SEA Games,” said Pible.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
