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Nguyen Thanh Ha of Vietnam was crowned winner of the 2023 Miss Eco International on March 3 at a glittering final ceremony in Cairo, Egypt. Photos courtesy of Miss Eco International. |
Vietnamese representative Nguyen Thanh Ha was crowned the winner of the 2023 Miss Eco International beauty pageant on March 3 at a glittering final ceremony in Cairo, Egypt.
This is the highest result of Vietnam in this contest, where Ha overcame 64 contestants to take the top position.
Last year’s winner, Kathleen Patton of the Philippines, placed the sparkling crown on her successor’s head.
The first runner-up went to Ifunanya Basilia Ikochukwu of Nigeria, while the second runner-up was Gookool Yuvna Rinishta of Mauritius.
The third and fourth-placed spots were given to Ratana Sokhavatey of Cambodia and Genesis Guerrero of Ecuador.
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Nguyen Thanh Ha in her environmental costume at Miss Eco International in Egypt. |
Ha, 1.70m tall with measurements of 85-56-90cm, won the Best Eco Dress, a design inspired by Vietnamese traditional water puppetry, in the semi-finals to get a bye into the top 11.
In the Grand Finale, contestants participated in national costume and evening gown performances. Judgers picked up the top 21, top 11 and then top five.
The 19-year-old made a strong impression with her strikingly beautiful face, confidence and outstanding beauty in the national costume, and her gorgeous gown designed by Brian Vo, to go through to the top five.
In the interview round, she persuaded judges with her answers about the changes to society and the environment in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The beauty queen said that people's mental health problems must be well-taken care of, while harmful habits that cause damage to the environment must be addressed. The Vietnamese beauty urged everyone to work together to protect the environment.
"I nearly cried before the final because of the high pressure," said Ha. "But I was confident and strongly believed in myself. I was brave to overcome all challenges and even my limit.
"This prestigious title will push me to work my best every day. This will also be a milestone in my life, opening up many opportunities to connect with international friends. Above all, it will be a strong support and motivation for me in my work, especially those concerned about environmental protection," she said.
Ha, born in 2004 in the southern province of Ben Tre, was a high school student in HCMC. She was crowned Miss Eco Vietnam 2022 last June.
Miss Eco International was originally formed in 2015 with the motto “Beauty for Eco”.
The main motivation behind starting the pageant was to spread environmental awareness among the masses through the theme of economics and the environment. In addition, the pageant also abides by the motto of finding an emissary specifically for environmental causes.
