SINGAPORE - Two of Singapore's shooting stars - Jasmine Ser and Martina Veloso - will not be competing at the Nov 30-Dec 11 SEA Games in the Philippines, as they were not on the Singapore National Olympic Council's list of 585 athletes bound for the Games released on Thursday (Aug 1).

In the Singapore Shooting Association's (SSA) national trials for the women's 10m air rifle, they finished fourth and fifth respectively. As such, Veloso will not defend her 10m air rifle title, while Ser will not be able to reclaim the 50m rifle three-positions gold she won in Kuala Lumpur two years ago.

Ser and Veloso both specialise in the 50m rifle three-positions, which is not available at the upcoming Games.

The top two shooters at the trials, Adele Tan and Ho Xiu Yi, were nominated for the SEA Games instead.

Veloso told The Straits Times: "My stronger event - the 50m air rifle three-positions - is not contested at this SEA Games, and our bigger goal is next year's Olympics, so some of us are focusing more on the World Cup stops and Asian Championship."

The Asian Championships take place in Qatar from Nov 3-11. There is also a World Cup stop in China from Nov 17-24.

SSA president Michael Vaz added: "While our shooters were given the option to pass on the SEA Games, all of them entered qualification and Adele and Xiu Yi beat Jasmine and Martina.

"While we value the SEA Games, the World Cup and Asian Championship are more important events as we aim to qualify and do well at Tokyo 2020, and Jasmine, Martina and our star shooters remain on track to do so."