SELF-DEFENCE TRAINER IS MISS UNIVERSE
BEAUTIES from across the globe converged in Las Vegas on Sunday, where Miss South Africa was crowned Miss Universe. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, 22, who trains women in self-defence, edged out her rivals from Colombia and Jamaica.
Nel-Peters, a graduate in business management, said her disabled half-sister had been among her great inspirations.
Her passion for self-defence was reinforced when she was hijacked and held at gunpoint about a month after winning the Miss South Africa title.
In the pageant’s 66th year, nearly 100 women from around the world, including first-timers from Cambodia, Laos and Nepal, took part.
The runner-up was actress Laura Gonzalez of Colombia, followed by second runner-up Davina Bennett of Jamaica.
Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere from France crowned her successor to squeals and cheers.
American comic turned TV host Steve Harvey emceed the event for the third time. In
2015, he famously made a mistake when he announced the wrong person
Coco, as Miss Universe.
In the “Final Word” portion of the competition, Nel-Peters said “Miss Universe is a woman who has overcome many fears, and by that she is able to help many women overcome their fears”.
“She is a woman that nothing is ever too much to ask for. And I think that is exactly who I am.” AFP all time, according to HollywoodReporter.com, led by Frozen, with a five-day opening of US$93.6 million.
In second place this weekend was Warner Bros film Justice League, with a three-day take of US$40.7 million in its second week out. The superhero flick has an all-star cast of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman. AFP