Hongitan booked for Thailand archery events

BAGUIO City’s lady archer Kareel Meer Hongitan is set to fulfil her Olympic dream as she sets her target in two events in Bangkok, Thailand this coming October and November.

Together with 2012 London Olympian Rachelle Ann Cabral, the 18-year-old marksman will first see action in the World Archery Development and Olympic Solidarity training camp project for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Cabral and Hongitan are presently the top one and two female recurve archers in the Philippines.

According to Hongitan, the Philippine Archers National Network, Inc. is sending only the top female and male representatives to the said training camp.

The University of Baguio lass, however, was selected to take the spot as top male archers Youth Olympic Gold medallist in doubles Gabriel Moreno and former Olympian Mark Javier did not participate in

the evaluation ranking held late last month.

“Dapat po one male and one female ang pupunta pero Moreno and Javier did not play during PANNA’s evaluation last month. Requirement po kasi na meron kang evaluation score para ma-invite sa Thailand training camp,” Hongitan told Sun. Star.

According to Hongitan the third ranked male archer, Pinoy veteran Florante Matan, was the next candidate to take the slot but was side-lined as Hongitan beat his score during the evaluation.

“Mas mataas po kasi ang score ko sa evaluation sa third ranked male so luckily I will be joining ate Rachelle for the Thailand training,” she added.

Following the training camp, the BS tourism student will head straight to the 9th Asian Championships and CQT Tournament from November 1-8.

The event will give her another shot to buy a ticket for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Although booked to attend the Thailand events, she said she will still have to maintain or improve her individual score in the next two evaluation rankings set by PANNA in the following months.

“Kaialangan ko pa rin pong galingan sa evaluation scores,” Hongitan quipped.

Earlier in July she already joined the Philippine contingent at 2015 World Archery Championships held in Denmark, the first Olympic qualifying tournament set by the World Archery Federation, but failed to earn an easy ticket.

If given the opportunity, Hongitan will be the first ever Cordilleran to compete and participate in the archery events of the Olympics.