Nor “Phoenix” Diana, Malaysia’s hijab-wearing professional wrestler, has been featured in Forbes’ fifth annual “30 Under 30 Asia” list.

The list features 300 young entrepreneurs, leaders and changemakers across Asia, all under the age of 30.

The Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2020 features bright and innovative leaders with 30 honorees selected for each of the 10 categories.

Nor Diana (photo), 20, the first female winner in the Malaysia Pro Wrestling (MyPW) Wrestlecon championship held last July, is placed under the Entertainment & Sports category.

The other categories include The Arts (Art & Style, Food & Drink); Finance & Venture Capital; Media, Marketing & Advertising; Retail & E-Commerce; Enterprise Technology; Industry, Manufacturing & Energy; Healthcare & Science and Social Entrepreneurs and Consumer Technology.

“This year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list-makers inspire optimism in what is promising to be a tough year ahead,” said Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia editor, Rana Wehbe, in a statement today.

Wehbe noted that young women Under-21 especially stand out in the 2020 list, from Malaysia’s hijab-wearing wrestler to Bangladesh’s first female comedian and a social entrepreneur helping farmers in the Philippines improve their livelihoods.

Among those featured on this year’s list include K-pop girl group Twice and actress So-dam Park - best known for her role in Oscar-winning film Parasite - from South Korea.

Current world No 1 female tennis player Ashleigh Barty and the founder of MyraSwim Bianca Anstiss from Australia, as well as 14-year-old racing prodigy, Juju Noda from Japan, are also featured.

The 2020 list features a diverse set of 30 Under 30 honorees, with 22 countries and territories represented across the Asia-Pacific region.

Selected from over 3,500 nominations, researched by Forbes journalists from across the region and vetted by industry veterans, this select group of relentless individuals are disrupting industries and tackling major global issues.

The criteria for honorees making the list include their demonstration of leadership, how they embody the entrepreneurial spirit that is synonymous with Forbes, and their potential of success in their industry.

Other factors like innovation, disruption – and size and growth of their ventures in some categories – play a role in making the final decision.

Honorees were vetted and selected by a panel of accomplished and acclaimed judges in each category.

They include Hiroshi Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten; Roshni Nadar Malhotra, executive director and CEO of HCL Corporation and trustee of Shiv Nadar Foundation; and JP Gan, general partner at INCE Capital. - Bernama