Crown Up ! - International
And the first-ever Miss Universe Bhutan is…
Tashi Choden Chombal was crowned Miss Bhutan 2022 at the end of the 3rd edition of the national pageant, held in Thimphu, Bhutan on June 4, 2022. The first one happened in 2008 and the winner competed internationally in the Philippines in a non-Grand Slam competition. Two years later a new Miss Bhutan was crowned, but she ended up reigning at home only. For this 3rd edition, the organization have acquired the Miss Universe license. 24 contestants from across the country participated in the Miss Universe Bhutan finals this year. She has won three other titles: Best in Kira, Best in evening gown, and Best ramp walk.
“Winning this pageant is a legitimate platform where I can advocate on social issues and talk to young women and try to empower them and try to make them believe in themselves more because I had a hard time believing in myself and look where I am right now”, said Tashi upon being crowned.
The 23-year-old native from Wangdue Phodrang will be the first woman from Bhutan to compete at the 2022 edition of Miss Universe pageant.
Choden works as model. She was born in Nagaland to her Bhutanese mother and Tibetan father. After her parents passed away when she was 14 years of age, she was taken in by her maternal aunt and grandmother in Wangdue, Bhutan. She described the transition period to The Bhutanese as difficult and said that as the eldest sibling, she had to “pick up the pieces and make it work, and be an example”. A year after the death of her parents, when Chombal was 15, she landed her first modelling job. Since then, the fashion model has competed in several beauty pageants.
She attended Utpal Academy in Paro, Bhutan.
On June 2, 2021, International Pride Day, Chombal came out to her family. When speaking to The Bhutanese, Chombal said that she initially came out as bisexual on Facebook. After doing research “I realised that I am actually a woman comfortable in my body and attracted to other women”.
Chombal described her family as very conservative and said that her maternal aunt and grandmother had strong reactions to her coming out. After a few months, they accepted Chombal’s sexuality. Tashi has always been proud of her sexuality, and she was one of the first individuals in Bhutan to talk openly about it.
Choden is not a newbie to pageantry. She was Miss Indo Bhutan Fest 2016. On August 19, 2017, she competed at Miss Citadel Pune 2017 in Pune, India. She was runner-up to Priya Singh aside from winning the Miss Photogenic award. On November 10, 2018, she represented Bhutan at Miss Asia 2018 and competed against 24 other candidates at the Gokulam Convention Center in Kaloor, India. She was unplaced but she won the Miss Congeniality award. In January 2019, she was appointed Miss Supermodel Worldwide Bhutan 2019. On May 9, 2019, she represented Bhutan at Miss Supermodel Worldwide 2019 and competed against 26 other candidates at The Velvet in New Delhi, India. She finished in the Top 15 and won the Best Catwalk award.
1st runner-up – Sonam Peldon from Wangdue Phodrang
2nd runner-up – Eden Zangmo from Trashigang
