Army Marksmen bags 4 golds in Brunei's regional shootfest

ARMY'S PRIDE. Army shooters dominate the Rifle Events of the ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet held in Brunei Darussalam from 28 September-16 October 2012. Cpl Rodney Rizano (2nd from left) bagged the Individual Championship Trophy for the 4th time since 2001. His shooting buddy, Sgt Alan Lao was the 3rd placer among 90 rifle shooters. Also in photo is the Contingent Commander of the Philippine Army shooting team, Lt Col Ricky Bunayog. (Army photo) 

 

FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City – The Philippine Army marksmen bagged four Gold, six Silver, and seven Bronze medals in the recently concluded 22^nd ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM) held in Penanjong Garrison, Brunei Darussalam last September 28 to October 16, 2012.

 

Major Harold M Cabunoc, the Army Spokesperson, said that the crack shooters emerged number four among the nine participating countries in this year’s competition.

 

He said that the Army team has consistently landed in the top 4 slot since it captured the 1st place in medal tally among the competing teams from the ASEAN region in 2005.

 

"Our soldiers are widely respected as among the best shooters in the ASEAN. Two of our shooters have captured 4 individual championship trophies since 2001, leaving an indelible mark in this annual shooting competition hosted by ASEAN member countries," he said.

 

Lt Col Ricky Bunayog, the Contingent Commander of the Army Shooting Team, said that they had also brought home several prestigious awards in a hotly contested shooting events.

 

"Our team garnered three perpetual challenge trophies including the Overall Rifle Championship Team Category and the Overall Rifle Championship Individual Category," he said.

 

Consistent champions

 

The Army marksmen have set a record of defending the Rifle Team Events Championship and the Carbine Falling Plates Championship for three consecutive years.

 

Meanwhile, Corporal Rodney L Rizano, a veteran in the AARM competition, was hailed as the Individual Rifle Champion in the whole of the ASEAN region for the 4th time since 2001. His best friend and shooting buddy, Sgt Alan Lao trailed in the 3rd place among 90 highly trained rifle shooters in the region.

 

From 2004 to 2007, the Rifle Team was also able to defend the Falling Plates Championship. In the same period, Sgt Jennifer de Belen also set a record of capturing the Individual Pistol Championship for 4 consecutive years.

 

Cabunoc said that the shooting team members are the crown jewels of the Army for consistently hoisting the flag of the country during international shooting competitions.

 

The Reebok Philippines sponsored team will present their medals to Army Chief Lt Gen Emmanuel Bautista anytime upon their arrival.

In this file photo, I personally met Cpl Rodney Rizano (left) and Sgt Alan Lao after finishing as Individual Champion and 1st Runner up during the 21st AARM held in Cilodong Indonesia in 2011. These two distinguished Army marksmen are my teammates in international shooting competitions. In many occasions, we are competing against each other during local IPSC Rifle Matches to continuously hone our skills.