Miss Universe Ukraine Named; Vietnam may not be Represented in Misses World and Universe 2009

Via Gra ex-member named Miss Ukraine Universe

Former member of Via Gra girls’ band, Christina Kots-Gotlib, won Miss Ukraine Universe beauty pageant on Friday, Feb. 20. She will represent Ukraine at Miss Universe 2009.

Anastasia Paperna, the daughter of the famous Ukrainian actress Olga Sumska, was named First Vice-Miss.

15 girls competed for the title of Miss Ukraine Universe. Among the jury members where actors Sergey Zhygunov and Svetlana Svetlichnaya, owner of Miss Ukraine Universe beauty pageant Oleksandra Nikolayenko and son of billionaire Donald Trump, Eric Trump.

Vietnam may not join Miss World, Miss Universe 2009

Elite Vietnam has refused to repurchase the copyright to send Vietnamese candidates to the Miss World, Miss Universe 2009 pageants. This means that Vietnam may miss the two big beauty contests this year.

Elite Vietnam Managing Director Thuy Nga said the firm’s withdrawal was planned in 2008, and is not because it is afraid of the new strict rules issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on beauty contests.

Under the new rules, there will be only one national beauty contest, Mrs. Vietnam 2009. Other contests will be local-level events. Contestants at Miss World and Miss Universe must be winners of national contests.

“If we want, we can choose beauties from previous years. But this is not a good method. It’s time to solve the problem at its roots,” she said.

Miss Vietnam Global 2007 Ngo Phuong Lan, who refused twice to take part in the Miss World pageant, said that if she was invited to attend an international beauty contest in 2009, she would have to refuse because she is busy with a new job and new life in Vietnam.

The first runner-up of the Miss Universe Vietnam 2008, Hoang Yen, said she was willing to represent Vietnam at any international beauty contest.

Miss World: Vietnamese contestants in top five bet to win

Online betting groups are active also during international pageants especially in Miss Universe and Miss World. Now, that Miss World is heating up, these online betting houses are now up again. As early as now they have chosen some of their favorites to win the contest. I've read in a Vietnamese paper that their representative is one of the earliest shoo in. Let's take a look and observe.

Miss World: Vietnamese contestants in top five bet to win

Vietnamese representative at the Miss World pageant contest in South Africa, Duong Truong Thien Ly, is now in top five contestants who are bet to be the winners of the contest by seven bankers.

Thien Ly and Miss Trinidad & Tobago are bet for 1/12 and 1/15 by two bankers Bet 365 and Betfair.

Banker Stan James ranks Thien Ly at the third position at the betting rate of 1/14. Centrebet put Thien Ly at the 15th position, with betting rate of 1/25.

Thien Ly is in the top 5 for banker Paddy Power, at the rate of 1/12. She shares the fourth position with Miss Ecuador, with banker Boylesport, at betting rate 1/12, and also at the fourth position with Miss Trinidad & Tobago, betting rate 1/13, with banker Gamebookers.

Thien Ly is appreciated more highly by bankers than other Vietnamese contestants at Miss World, like Miss Vietnam Pham Thi Mai Phuong in 2002, and Miss Vietnam Mai Phuong Thuy in 2006.

According to the official website of the Miss World 2008, one more title – Miss People’s Choice - will be presented to the contestant who wins the highest votes by the audiences. This contestant will admit the semi-final round (15 best contestants).