Former Miss Samoa 2022-2023, Haylani Pearl Mataupu Kuruppu has been announced as Miss Global Samoa 2023 and will contest the Miss Global 2023 Pageant in Vietnam.

Telecommunications company and sponsor, Vodafone Samoa announced Ms. Kuruppu's candidacy for the international pageant scheduled for November this year in a short press release issued to the local media on Wednesday afternoon.

"Vodafone Samoa is delighted to announce that Haylani Pearl Mataupu Kuruppu will be crowned as Miss Global Samoa 2023. She will join the 10th anniversary of the Miss Global 2023 Pageant in Vietnam from 11-25 November this year," reads the statement issued by Vodafone Samoa.

Ms. Kuruppu was crowned the Miss Samoa 2022, the Miss Melbourne 2022 and the First Runner-Up in Miss Pacific Islands 2023 and according to Vodafone Samoa is a social worker, a fitness trainer and an author. She is also studying physiotherapy at the Australian Catholic University.

According to Vodafone Samoa, it will arrange for a two-week overseas training for Haylani in Asia and she will be trained by "some of the best trainers in the world". These trainers have earlier trained the Miss World and Miss Universe contestants and some of them also won a number of world titles.

The crowning will happen in Vodafone Samoa Headquarters in Apia and the date will be announced at a later stage.

"Vodafone wishes Haylani best wishes for the Miss Global 2023 Pageant," added the statement from the telecommunications company.

Attempts by the Samoa Observer to contact Ms. Kuruppu for comment, following the announcement on Wednesday by Vodafone, were unsuccessful.