Malaysian national shooter Gan Chen Jie is preparing for her first appearance at the Asian Games, drawing motivation from the popular anime series "Demon Slayer." The 22-year-old athlete finds inspiration in the show’s themes of sacrifice and teamwork, appreciating how the main character Tanjiro Kamado is dedicated to protecting his sister, Nezuko.

Chen Jie will compete in both the 10m air rifle and the 50m rifle three positions events, scheduled to take place from September 20 to October 1 at the Aichi Prefectural Shooting Range in Japan. She is also part of the Malaysian team alongside Nur Suryani Taibi and Alia Husna Budruddin for the team competitions.

The shooter’s rise in the sport has been notable since her debut at the Southeast Asian Games last year, where she set a new Games record of 451.7 points en route to winning the gold medal in the women's 50m rifle three positions event. Additionally, she helped secure a team silver with Alia and Nur Suryani in the same discipline and earned a bronze medal in the 10m air rifle individual event.

Since her breakthrough, Chen Jie says she has focused on mental growth, emphasizing the importance of concentrating on the process rather than solely on results. She credited her international competition experience for boosting her confidence and maturity in the sport. Alongside her athletic pursuits, Chen Jie is pursuing a degree in Human Resources at Help University.

A key influence on Chen Jie's development is her coach, South Korean Kong Hyun-ah, from whom she has learned discipline, attention to detail, and various training techniques. The athlete also expressed a fondness for Korean culture, particularly the cuisine, noting that her coach has prepared Korean meals for the team.

Looking ahead, Chen Jie acknowledges the strong competition at the Asian Games but remains focused on her own performance. Her goal is to rely on her training and maintain composure during the events in order to secure a medal.