Sanoj Maharjan and Janak Raj Bhatta have won big at a global pageant targeted for hearing-impaired, Miss and Mister Deaf International, in Taiwan.

Alongside Maharjan and Bhatta, Sisam Shrestha also represented Nepal at recently-held Miss Deaf paegent.

The Nepali contestants were chosen and trained amid a series of programmes conducted by the National Federation of the Deaf, Nepal, and The Hidden Treasure, Nepal the organisers of the annual Miss Nepal pageant.

The winners at the international pageant were felicitated amid a function held at The Hidden Treasure in Lalitpur on Thursday, July 26.

Speaking at the event, co-ordinator of NDFN, Kalpana Bajracharya, said, “Upon this historic achievement, we want to inform the stakeholders and general public and hope to ensure their inclusion and participation in development.”

Miss and Mister Deaf International is an annual pageant that aims to empower, enhance, and support today’s continually growing community of deaf women and men. “As an organisation committed to excellence, we are honoured to provide a platform for our contestants, to demonstrate not only their unique talents, intellect, and beauty, but their overall personal and humanitarian goals. The esteemed winner of this competition will be distinguished as an Ambassador of the Deaf community,” reads a note issued by the parent organisation of the pageant. The global pageant this year saw participation by 43 hearing-impaired individuals from around the world.