On target: Kuya Germs’ grandson is top Palaro archer

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines— Barely 10 years old then, he already had his eyes set on the ultimate prize.

At that age, he already wanted to be no. 1.

Four years later, Luis Gabriel Magdayao Moreno emerged as the top archer in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa in this seaport city.

Moreno, grandson of television host German “Kuya Germs” Moreno broke one record after another in the boys secondary archery event en route to a five-gold, one-silver, one-bronze haul in his Palaro debut.

First time’s the charm

In his very first time competing in the country’s biggest sporting event, the 14-year-old Moreno didn’t disappoint as he shattered the record 333 points in the 30-meter event set by Karl Kristian Mari of Central Visayas last year by posting 341 points.

Moreno shot 332 in the 40-meter event to break Mari’s 324 set also last year in Pangasinan and scored 338 points to eclipse Mari’s 313 in the 50-meter, again set in 2012.

He snared his fourth gold in the 60-meter as he tallied 334 points to set a new record and he is not done yet, a fifth gold came in the FITA by amassing 1,345 points, also a new record.

Moreno, whose mother Sheila is the sister of actresses Vina Morales and Shaina Magdayao, settled for the silver and bronze in the Mixed Team event and Olympic Round Individual, respectively.

“Palarong Pambansa is really exciting, I did not expect to win because there were a lot of good archers from other regions,” said a beaming Moreno.

It’s not all luck for a Palaro first-timer like Moreno, though.

“I really trained hard and kept on practicing at the FR Sevilla Range in Novaliches, Quezon City every day.”

‘No. 1’

For a 10-year-old kid, Moreno should have been enjoying his childhood, playing in their backyard but instead, he aimed at one target: to be no. 1.

“When I was 10, I told myself ‘I want to beat records, I want to be no.1,” recalled the incoming 2^nd year high school student at La Salle Green Hills. “Back then, I already knew what I want to do.”

Support from family, ‘Master Showman’

Moreno, whose father Federico is Kuya Germs’ son, noted that his family, including the “Master Showman,” is all out in supporting his passion for the sport.

“My family and my lolo are very supportive.” “My lolo actually finances my flights, he sponsors my equipments, the things I need in training and also Ms. Alice Bernardo, a family friend.”

And the support he gets from his family came all the way from Manila to Dumaguete.

Moreno’s dad joined him in the course of his first Palaro experience, and with his number one fan watching him shoot arrows and hit the target, he did nothing but win.

“My family is my motivation. They are my inspiration in playing archery,” shared an obviously elated Moreno.

Bright future beckons

After showcasing his raw but immense potential, Moreno hinted at a possible stint in the international scene.

“I competed in the Youth Olympics and that makes me want more,” he said. “I want to be in the Olympics someday, that’s my dream.”

Four years ago, he set his eyes on becoming the top young archer in the country.

Who knows, with Moreno’s heart and skill, his Olympic dream might not be farfetched. After all, this kid knows what he wants and does what he can to achieve it. – Rappler.com