Though they are admitting that preparations have been far from ideal, archery officials on Tuesday expressed optimism of a strong showing in the Southeast Asian Games in Laos next month.

But the same could not be said for shooting as Filipino ace Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla painted a grim picture for the five-man team he is spearheading in the biennial meet.

“I don’t want to commit,” said Padilla, who will make his 16th appearance in the SEA Games this year, when asked to give his prediction for the shooting team. “Our rivals are just very strong.”

“I can say our team is half-demoralized,” said NAAP president Lenora Brawner at the PSA Forum at the Shakey’s U.N. Avenue in Manila. “Despite of the circumstances, we will try to bring home the gold.”

But NAAP secretary general Terry Lim predicted at least two gold medals for the six-man squad.

Lim said Earl Benjamin Yap, a silver medalist in the previous SEA Games, is capable of ruling the men’s compound event. Veteran Jennifer Chan is also fancied to win the gold in the compound event, Lim said in the forum backed by Accel, Outlast Battery and Pagcor.

Brawner said the lack of equipment has hampered their preparations, leaving the archers with a very difficult task of at least duplicating the two-gold, one-silver, one-bronze haul in the previous SEA Games in Thailand.

The team will also be without top female archer Amaya Paz, a double-gold winner in the previous SEA Games, who declined from joining the squad, NAAP secretary general Terry Lim said.

Paz’s absence meant the team will not be able to defend their women’s compound team title, Lim said.

“We haven’t seen anyone deserving to take her place,” Lim said.