SINGAPORE - As part of this year's Barbie You Can Be An Athlete campaign launch, the iconic toy's American company Mattel is honouring local role models in various countries.

Last Friday (March 6), in conjunction with Sunday's International Women's Day, it announced its Singapore selection of national athletes Chelsea Sim (taekwondo), Nurul Suhaila (silat) and Martina Veloso (shooting).

They were chosen for their achievements as well as their display of qualities such as tenacity, motivation, perseverance and reinvention, Mattel said.

Sim, 24, said: "I felt very honoured to know that there were so many outstanding ladies who had won this award, and some that I even look up to. I am very grateful and humbled by this piece of great news."

Sim, who was born with a hole in her heart, overcame the odds to win a gold at the SEA Games in 2015.

Veloso, who bagged two golds at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, was equally thrilled at her selection. The 20-year-old said: "I had Barbie Dolls when I was young although my mother said I did not play as much because I was quite involved with my taekwondo training when I was younger.

"However, I loved watching Barbie movies, they were my favourite."

Lisa McKnight, senior vice-president and global head of Barbie and Dolls, Mattel, paid tribute to the various role models and said: "As sportswomen continue to set new records and take centre stage around the world, we are proud to honour these amazing women by amplifying their stories and achievements."

The new doll range will feature five new sports in Tokyo 2020 - baseball, softball, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing - and will be available from the middle of this year.