A Vietnamese taekwondo player will likely be fined and have his Mister Global 2015 title rejected by Vietnamese authorities for competing at the pageant without permission.

Nguyen Van Son, 21, was crowned at the finale of Mister Global 2015, which took place on Saturday evening in Bangkok, Thailand.

The event is an internationally-recognized beauty pageant for males, organized annually by the Mister Global Organization.

Son, who is 1.93 meters tall, is a national taekwondo player and has won numerous gold medals both at national and international tournaments.

Throughout the two-hour event, contestants from over 21 countries around the globe competed in four categories: talent, swimwear, evening wear, and interview.

The four runners-up came from Venezuela, Thailand, Brazil, and France.

Son garnered a cash prize; a trophy; accommodation in a city apartment/hotel suite for the duration of his reign while in Thailand; a modeling portfolio; travel opportunities representing the Mister Global Organization, and personal appearance opportunities representing sponsors and charitable organizations, according to the pageant’s Facebook page.

He also won the title for “Internet Popularity” at the contest.

Nguyen Van Son is pictured during a competing session at Mister Global 2015. Photo: Nguyen Van Son's Facebook

However, the young man’s triumph has not been well received by cultural authorities at home.

Le Minh Tuan, of the Performing Arts Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, told a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter on Monday that Son will likely be fined between VND15 million (US$699) and VND30 million ($1,398) for joining the pageant without seeking prior consent from competent Vietnamese agencies.

His new title may not be recognized in Vietnam either, Tuan added.

In Vietnam, those who want to take part in a beauty contest in another country are required to win at least one national beauty title before being selected by the ministry to represent the country.

Tuan added his department is currently working with competent agencies regarding measures to penalize rule-breaking models and beauties who have taken part, with or without claiming prizes, in international beauty contests in recent times.

In late January, members of the public, lawyers, and showbiz celebs in Vietnam frowned on the Performing Arts Department’s proposal to ban models and beauties who have competed in other countries without seeking prior permission from going abroad.

The proposal came as a drastic, preventive measure to cope with local beauties’ unauthorized competition in overseas pageants in recent years, the department head said then.

Six beauties and models were found competing in international pageants abroad without permission last year.

The latest example is Dieu Linh, a model in Ho Chi Minh City.

On January 9, Linh was fined VND22.5 million ($1,049) by the chief inspector of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports for contending at Miss Tourism International 2014 in Malaysia in December without the department’s prior consent.

The model was also suspended from performing nationwide.

Linh took home the titles of “Miss South East Asia” and “Best in National Costume” at the pageant.

In September and October 2014, the city’s culture department also penalized three other models, Huynh Thi Thuy Anh, Cao Thuy Linh, and Le Tuong Vy for similar violations.

Anh claimed the crown at a Vietnamese community beauty pageant organized last year in the U.S., while Linh earned the best national costume title at Miss Grand International 2014, which took place in Thailand in October last year.

Meanwhile, Vy was crowned at Miss Vietnam Continents 2014, which ran in the U.S. in August 2014.

The three were suspended from local performing activities for some time.

Dozens of other local female beauties have committed similar infringements lately.

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