Long jumper Luqman Hakim Ramlan has an ambitious goal to achieve this year.

The Kuala Lumpur athlete wants to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in August after doing a personal best of 7.87m to win gold in the Government Services Games in Bukit Jalil last month.

But it’s going to be a tough mission to qualify for the Olympics as the mark he has to meet is 8.22m.

The 24-year-old Luqman, who is pursuing a degree in computer science and mathematics at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Seremban, said “nothing is impossible” for him.

“My coach (Ahmad Firdaus Salim) believes that I have the potential to hit the eight-metre mark in competitions, ” said Luqman.

“I am in high spirits after doing a personal best in the Government Services Games two weeks ago and I am looking forward to performing better in competitions this year.

“My training partner Andre (Anura Anuar), who broke the national record of 8.02m to win silver in the SEA Games last month, has also inspired me a lot.

“I too can hit the eight-metre mark in meets.

“I have only until end of June to beat the qualifying mark, so I will be competing in as many meets as possible to achieve it, ” said Luqman, who was among five athletes selected to represent Malaysia in the 23rd Dahe Fajr Indoor Athletics Championships in Iran, which begins on Thursday.

The other Malaysians going for the two-day meet in Iran are sprinter Khairul Hafiz Jantan, who will compete in the men’s 60m dash, Luqmanul Hakim (400m), Andrew Anura Anuar (triple jump) and Norliyana Kamaruddin in pentathlon (women’s 60m dash, 60m hurdles, 400m, long jump, high jump).

Luqman is excited to feature in his first-ever indoor meet in Iran.

“It will be a different experience competing indoor but I am ready to do another personal best in Iran although I did it just two weeks ago.

“Andre and I will be making an attempt to break the national indoor long jump record of 7.33m (set by Mohd Syahrul Amri Suhaimi at the Asian Indoor Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2006), ” said Luqman, who cleared 7.22m in the World University Games in Naples, Italy, in July.

Luqman’s effort of 7.87m is the third best among the Malaysian athletes after Andre (8.02m in the SEA Games) and Josbert Tinus (7.88m in Thailand Open in 2007).