During a press conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 2 before her departure, My Duyen stated her aim of returning home with one of the competition’s top prizes as a special gift for her relatives and supporters, before pledging to try her best to win the pageant.

Preparations for My Duyen’s participation in the world pageant started one year ago when she began to study at the Kagandahang Flores centre in the Philippines, the same place that Nguyen Phuong Khanh trained before being winning Miss Earth 2018.

Going into the pageant, My Duyen has been gaining experience and sharpening her skills, in November 2019 she finished as the runner-up in Global Asian Model 2019 in the Philippines.

Originally from the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, 26-year-old My Duyen was crowned Miss Jewellery back in 2017.

The grand final of Miss Global 2019 is set to take place on January 18, with contestants from 60 countries globally set to take part.

The Miss Global pageant is a prestigious event that was first held in 2011. Most recently, Sophia Ng of Hong Kong (China) was crowned Miss Global 2018. VOV