Filipino archery champion Mark Javier Saturday expressed his hope to be the first Filipino to win a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in August, reported local television network ABS-CBN News.

The archer told the TV network that it's always been his ultimate dream as an athlete to compete in the Olympics.

A native of Dumaguete City, southern Philippines, Javier earned a trip to Beijing by landing first place in the Asian Archery Championships in Xi'an, China in October 2007.

"I started from air gun target shooting since my father is also an air gunner himself, he taught me how to shoot an air gun," he told the TV network. "Later on I shifted to archery during my college."

He won international recognition with a gold medal in the 2005 Southeast Asia Games, ranking 9th in the 15th Asian Games and landing 6th in the 2006 World Cup.

"Just qualifying in the Olympics is a feat itself. But I like to do good in the Olympics and make my country and my family proud by getting a gold medal," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2008)