20 hunks vying for Mr International title

Some of the participants of the Mister International 2007 pageant in Kuching yesterday.

KUCHING: For the first time in Malaysia, the Mister International 2007 will be held in Kuching.

Twenty participants from Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, India, Italy, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, the United States and Venezuela will take part in the event from Dec 20 to 31.

They will also participate in several tourism-related activities.

The inaugural pageant was held in Singapore last year.

Wissam Hanna of Lebanon who was the pageant's first winner will be here to crown his successor.
The founder of the pageant is Alan Sim, Mister Young Singapore (1996) and first runner-up of Mister Young International (1997).

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, the 35-year old Singaporean said he established the event out of frustration.

"The frustration lies in the fact that winners of national pageants have nowhere to proceed to after clinching the title in their respective countries," he said.

Amr Samaha of Egypt is excited about his first international competition.

The 19-year-old model said being in this international pageant has widened his knowledge and understanding of the cultures of other countries.

Samaha added that his fellow contestants were not here to compete to see who was the best.

"We are here to make new friends, establish contacts and experience new cultures," he said.

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