Dipa Karmakar, the celebrated gymnast from Tripura has been chosen along with 19 other successful and illustrous women from 17 countries to be included in Barbie’s role model collection aimed at inspiring young girls.
Dipa is the first Indian female gymnast to ever compete in the Olympic Games and the first Indian female artistic gymnast to win a gold medal at a global event.
On March 9, which is Barbie’s 60th anniversary, Mattel, the multi-national toy company decided to honour global female role models, who are breaking boundaries in a variety of diverse career fields.
Barbie gifted them a one-of-a-kind doll made in their likeness. These women come from multiple countries and continents ranging between 19 to 85 years old.
This is another feather to already decorated Dipa’s cap by being immortalized as a Barbie doll by the iconic global brand for their ‘Role Model’ campaign to mark International Women’s Day.
A proud Dipa tweeted:
‘Barbie has always shown girls that they can be anything!! On the occasion of her 60th anniversary, I am honoured to be selected as a Barbie Role Model to help inspire the next generation of girls!’
Barbie has always shown girls that they can be anything!! On the occasion of her 60th anniversary, I am honoured to be selected as a Barbie Role Model to help inspire the next generation of girls!#Barbie60 #YouCanBeAnything pic.twitter.com/6cnAWtLvDs
— Dipa Karmakar (@DipaKarmakar) March 9, 2019
The Barbie doll made in her likeness dons a red full-sleeve singlet with a tight hairdo and wears a bronze medal.
Dipa had won a bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Gymnastics Championships.
The 25-year-old Indian gymnast who despite being flat footed has won 77 medals, including 67 gold, in state, national, and international championships.
A statement issued from the doll making company read, “Dipa created history by becoming India’s first female gymnast to qualify for the final of the vault event at the Olympics. She missed out on bronze by a narrow margin, finishing fourth in the event. Dipa is one of only five women who has successfully landed the Produnova or handspring double front, the most difficult vault currently performed in women’s gymnastics. She has defied all odds and inspired a generation of young girls to take up the sport of gymnastics.”