A 22-year-old Vietnamese woman who sparked public criticism shortly after winning the 2017 Miss Ocean Vietnam last year has received yet another blow when the country’s performing arts watchdog has requested that her crown be revoked.

Le Au Ngan Anh shocked the country with her winning the beauty pageant in October 2017, with members of the public believing that her physical appearance does not deserve the title.

The 2017 Miss Ocean Vietnam contest was held by Vo Viet Chung International Co. Ltd., owned by Vo Viet Chung, a famed local designer.

On Thursday, the Department of Performing Arts under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested that Vo Viet Chung International void the result of the contest and strip Anh of her title for breaking competition regulations regarding eligibility.

The young student was announced winner of the beauty pageant even when she was known to have undergone a nose job, which violates the contest’s eligibility rule.

Anh has admitted to have got a plastic surgery to add cartilage grafts to her nose,  before removing them to sign up for the beauty contest.

The contest organizer has previously been slapped with an administrative fine of VND4 million (US$175) for “sending ineligible contestants to beauty and model contests.”

The organizer has now been asked to take one step further to revoke the crown of the winner, “to ensure fairness for the [Miss Ocean Vietnam] contest,” according to the performing arts department.

Upon receiving public criticism for awarding the title to Anh, Chung defended the judge’s decision and claimed that the young woman, hailing from the southern province of Tien Giang, “met many requirements, from looks to knowledge.”

Regarding reports that Anh had undergone cosmetic surgery, which is a taboo, before attending the contest, Chung said he had nothing to explain as the winner had passed an anthropometric test.