On Sunday, India’s Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe 2021, bringing an end to a contentious contest held in southern Israel this year.
Sandhu exhorted young people to “remember that you are unique and that is what makes you beautiful, stop comparing yourself to others” during a speech on stage during the pageant.
“I believed in myself, and that’s why I’m standing here today,” she concluded, to thunderous applause.
The pageant was held in Eilat, a resort city in Israel, and featured 80 women from all over the world competing for the title. The competition came to a close on Sunday night, with eliminations whittling down the number of finalists until only two remained.
The first and second runners-up, respectively, were Paraguay’s Nadia Ferreira and South Africa’s Lalela Mswane.
