Nagma Shrestha was crowned the first Miss Nepal Universe at a function held at Hotel Annapurna on Friday. The event marked the 22nd establishment of Hidden Treasure, the institution behind the annual beauty pageant Miss Nepal. 

Shrestha will be representing Nepal at the 66th Miss Universe to be held in Las Vegas, USA, in November 2017. This is the first time that Nepal will be participating in the Miss Universe pageant.

“When the invitation from the Miss Universe franchise, which is based in New York (USA), was received after the completion of the national beauty pageant Miss Nepal 2017 in April, The Hidden Treasure took the decision to select Nagma Shrestha, Miss Nepal (Earth) 2012 to represent Nepal at the upcoming Miss Universe pageant,” read a press release issued by the Hidden Treasure. 

“Having extensive experience at pageants, The Hidden Treasure found in Nagma Shrestha a suitable candidate to represent the country in the Miss Universe 2017.”

Shrestha represented Nepal in Miss Earth 2012 where she reached up to the finale round of the pageant, an unprecedented feat for a Nepali. Later, in 2016, she bagged the third runner-up award at World Miss University held in China. She has also won an award for the best tourism video in Miss Eco Universe 2016 in Egypt.