KUALA LUMPUR: Aniq Kasdan hopes to lift his way to an Olympic ticket when he competes in the World Weightlifting Championships in Phuket from April 2-11.
The Johorean, who will compete in the Under-61 kg, believes that setting a new record by lifting 305kg, will put him on track for the Paris Olympics.
The 22-year-old is currently ranked seventh in the Olympic qualifying standings with a 296kg (combined) best score. The top 10- ranked weightlifters will qualify for the Olympics.
Aniq said his inclusion in the Road To Gold (RTG) programme is a big boost as he gets assistance from the National Sports Council and the National Sports Institute.
He said that having senior Aznil Bidin training with him is a boost in his preparations for the world meet in Phuket.
"My personal target for this year is 305kg. I will strive to achieve that. For the world championship in Thailand in April, I aim for a lift of 300kg first," said Aniq.
"There's healthy competition between me and Aznil, we push each other."
Aniq shone at an international championships in Qatar last December by lifting 126kg in the snatch and 170kg in the clean and jerk for a total lift of 296kg.
It surpassed his national record of 291kg when he won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last September.