STO. TOMAS -- A 15-year-old teenager from this small town has outgun the best of the best in the Asia Pacific Region, including Australia, to capture the prestigious AustralAsia 3-Gun Championship Shooting Competition held last October 20-23 at the Clark Eagle Shooting Range, West Air Field inside the Clark Freeport Zone.

Diomari Ivan Tayag, a fourth year high school student of Don Bosco Academy in Mabalacat and resident of Barangay San Matias here bested some 1,080 shooters from 14 Asian countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, China, Korea, Australia and other countries.

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Tayag, who has been involved in practical shooting, won the Junior Division in the production class using a CZ 9mm pistol, running away with the gold medal in the 21 below category of the Level IV- International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) sanctioned match.

The young shooter, who is also an Outstanding Thomasian in the field of sports, displayed his accuracy and speed against other foreign competitors who are older and more experience in the field of practical shooting.

“Malaki pong karangalan sa aking ang pagkapanalo kong ito, simula pa po noong bata pa ako ay hilig ko na talaga ang sports na ito (shooting), kaya pinagbuti ko po ang pagsasanay sa tulong ng aking ama (Diosdado Tayag) ay na develop ko po ang talent ko sa shooting,” Tayag said.

Tayag who is a multi-awarded shooter both national and international has always won in the Junior Division (21 below) since he joined Ipsa and PPSA sanctioned competitions, traveling to different provinces in the Philippines and countries around the world.

He said had he attributes his success to his father who is not only a fellow shooter but his role model, teaching him the value of sportsmanship, gun safety and discipline.

The young Tayag has been ranked as 9th place in last year’s World Shoot Championship participated in by 1,800 delegates coming from different countries around the globe.

His numerous awards include the National Jack Enrile cap - Junior champion held last year in Batangas, Bolo Cup- level 3 2nd runner-up Junior Cup (Arms Corp.), Level 1 to 3 undefeated in the Junior categories in past two years.

He is also a member of the Pampanga Shooters Association (PSA) and Philippine Practical Shooting Association (PPSA) and has been ranked as the number one junior shooter in Division 4 in from 2007 to 2008.

“Sana ay makuha ko rin ang award for 2009 para grand slam ako, sa palagay ko naman ay maganda ang standing ko for this year kaya may chance ako, sana nga makuha ko para grand slam, three in a row,” Tayag said.

Tayag also thanked the support of his fellow shooters in the PSA who have always been behind him during training and competition proper, saying that there guidance have help him a lot.

Mayor Joselito Naguit lauded the young Tayag for giving pride not only to the country and province but to this town, adding that the latter is truly a role model for other young Thomasians to strive in their chosen field, may it be career or sports. (Chris Navarro)