Malaysia's Benedict Yu wins Mister National Universe 2023 in Thailand
Mister Malaysia Benedict Yu was proclaimed Mister National Universe 2023 on Tuesday, June 27 at the Amari Watergate Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. The 27-year-old doctor from Kota Kinabalu bested over 20 other competitors to win the 5th edition of the international male pageant. Benedict succeeds last year's winner from Vietnam, Ngo Hoang Phi Viet. Aside from his title, he was also awarded Mister Popular and Mister Flawless Skin. "I have gained so much friendships from different countries, getting to experience Thailand cultures and this pageant is the definition of where pageantry meets luxury," he shared online after winning the competition. Marcus Charlie Bishop of England was named first runner-up while Kritti Nampradit of Thailand, Michael Ver Comaling of the Philippines, and Tishkin Vladislav of Latvia were the second, third, and fourth runners-up, respectively. The rest of the Top 10 semifinalists were from Japan (Takumi Ozawa), Pakistan (Jan Asad), Russia (Maxim Zvon