Filipino shooter Jayson Valdez qualifies for Tokyo Olympics

Shooter Jayson Valdez has officially qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Valdez qualified for the men’s air rifle 10-meter event through the quota system of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF), making him the 12th Filipino athlete headed to the games next month.

“That’s an additional chance for us. Good thing there’s a quota qualifying in shooting, and the better thing, we have a world ranking athlete who is also a scholar of the POC,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said in a statement.

Valdez, whose father Julius is a former Philippine national team shooter with three gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games, also shared how he learned the news.

“I received an urgent message last night from the ISSF in Germany,” the 25-year-old Valdez said. “They asked me if we’re ready (to compete in the Olympics). I said yes, so they gave me the quota.”

The Philippine contingent to the Olympics includes EJ Obiena (pole vault), Carlos Yulo (gymnastics), Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ando (weightlifting), Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio (boxing), Criz Nievarez (rowing), Kurt Barbosa (taekwondo), and Margielyn Didal (skateboarding).

—JMB, GMA News