Phuong Anh performs Japanese dance at a ceremony held in Ho Chi Minh City on June 13.

The announcement of Phuong Anh as the nation’s representative was made at a ceremony held in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday.

Tuong San, a Top 8 finisher at Miss International 2019, presented a crown and sash to Phuong Anh, giving plenty of encouragement to the local ahead of the start of the global pageant.

The ceremony also witnessed the participation of Sireethorn Leearamwat, Miss International 2019, Stephen Diáz, marketing director of Miss International, and Thuy Dung, the Vietnamese representative at Miss International 2017.

22-year-old Phuong Anh stands at 1.77 metres tall, with measures of 87-61-93. The girl, hailing from Ho Chi Minh City, first rose to prominence by winning the first runner-up title at Miss Vietnam 2020, meeting the criteria for competing at the 2022 Miss International pageant.

First launched in 1960, Miss International makes up one of the Big Four international beauty competitions, alongside Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss Earth. The 2022 contest was originally scheduled to take place in Japan in 2021, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the previous competitions, Vietnamese representatives had won high prizes, including Pham Hong Thuy Van the third runner-up in 2015, and Tuong San among the top 8 in 2019.