# Miss & Mister Deaf World

Miss & Mister Deaf World (MMDW) is an international beauty pageant which crowns young deaf women "Miss Deaf World" and young deaf men "Mister Deaf World" every year, usually in Prague, in the Czech Republic.

## History

MMDW is a Nonprofit organization which was created in 2001. The pageant is organised by the companies MISS DEAF s.r.o. and MISS – MISTER DEAF s.r.o., and their president is Josef Uhlíř. The official language in the contest is International Sign Language, and the crystal crowns for all the finalists are made by Astera s.r.o.
By the rules of the contest, a winner is disallowed to participate in another beauty contest. On July 9, 2010, there was a MDW contest in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Miss Julie Abbou from France contested. She won three titles of the first Vicemiss Deaf World 2010, the second Vicemiss Deaf World 2010 and of the Miss Sympathy Deaf World 2010. Afterwards, Abbou contested Miss Deaf International in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 31, 2010, and was crowned as Miss Deaf International. As a result, Uhlíř published an announcement at MDW website about disqualifying Abbou from the titles of 1st Vicemiss Deaf World 2010 and of Miss Sympathy Deaf World 2010, which Abbou won during the final ceremony of Miss Deaf World 2010 and Miss Deaf Europe 2010 competitions in Tbilisi. Uhlíř stated that during the MDW competitions, Abbou was personally informed, as well as the other competing girls, that in the case of receiving one of the official titles of the MDW competitions, the winner would be prohibited from participation in any other Miss competition. Uhlíř explained the reason for keeping the high status of the both competitions, keeping the high reputation of the gained titles and preventing any hurt of Miss Deaf World and Miss Deaf Europe competitions prestige. Uhlíř added that every girl could participate these competitions, even two times, if she was not awarded any of the titles during her first participation. He wrote that with validity from August 1, 2010, the title of first Vicemiss Deaf World 2010, which was taken from Abbou, went to Zhihuang Wang from China, and her title of second Vicemiss Deaf World 2010 went to Stella Falawo Kunjan from Ghana, which took originally the fourth place. The title of Miss Sympathy Deaf World 2010, which also was taken from Abbou by Uhlíř, would be won by Portia Oliver from South Africa, which took originally the second place in this category.
In 2018, Assia Uhanany from Israel won Miss Deaf World. Xu Jinghui, a contestant from Taiwan, took a photo with her, and wrote her impression of the contest. She told about the foreign environment in Prague, wishing to contact foreign Deaf friends from different countries, hopefully communicating with them. She wrote her daily activity: The second day was a free day, and they visited close attractions, starting to make Deaf friends by chatting each other with the international sign language. The third day to the sixth day were in the class, for practicing the show together, and sharing international sign language and Deaf culture among different countries. The show started on September 29, 2018, left her a little sad and discouraged, but it was a rare experience for her. She was happy to be able to go abroad and acquire a lot of foreign friends, and thanked the China Association of the Deaf for giving her such a chance to go abroad, and for teaching her international sign language as well.
On April 16, 2019, Uhlíř wrote sorrowfully about the passing away of Engineer Vladimír Žíla, a General partner of the world competitions, Miss & Mister Deaf World and Europe and Asia, and the Director of Astera glass.
On May 25, 2019, Miss Deaf World 2017 and Mister Deaf Europe 2018 got married in Croatia.

## Titleholders

| Date and Place | Miss Deaf World | First Vicemiss Deaf World | Second Vicemiss Deaf World | Miss Deaf Europe | Miss Deaf Asia | Mister Deaf World | Mister Deaf Europe | Mister Deaf Asia |
| November 28, 2020. Prague, Czech Republic | | | | | | | | |
| July 19, 2019. Mbombela, South Africa | Vidisha Baliyan India | Lethiwe Ntaka South Africa | Caroline Costa Brazil | Petra Jakopović Croatia | Kanjana Phimpa Thailand | Phumelela Mapukata South Africa | Petro Mendryshora Ukraine | Chunping Zhou China |
| September 29, 2018. National House of Vinohrady, Convention Center, Prague | Assia Uhanany (31 years) Israel | Juthathip Srithamrongwat Thailand | Ludmila Krautsova Belarus | Andreea-Maria Stîngaciu Romania | Nishtha Dudeja India | Jan Jakub Matěj Emmer (33 years) Czech Republic | Josip José Smokvina Croatia | Mani Gulati India |
| July 15, 2017. Prague Congress Centre | Chutima Netsuriwong (23 years) Thailand | Maria Puposka North Macedonia Then: Ana-Maria Barnjak Croatia By MMDW website | Inna Demidova Belarus | Petra Gluchová Czech Republic | Manman Hao China | Eric Alcantara Pascual Spain | Bagou Chehiban France | Yu Chen Lin 林祐臣 Taiwan |
| July 16, 2016. Congress Hall of TOP Hotel Prague | Janetta Hendrika Liaane Erasmus South Africa | Aminaka Gako Senegal | Victoria Soo Lum Canada | Elena Novokhatskaya Ukraine | Caoyue Piao South Korea | Kevin Petit France | Alberto Jorgues Mora Spain | Tian Ye China |
| July 18, 2015. Congress Hall of TOP Hotel Prague | Natalija Bilanová Ukraine | Anastasia Viazovskaya Belarus | Lé Thi Thuy Doan Vietnam | Karina Astrid Jemmott United Kingdom | Lin Ching Lan 林靖嵐 Taiwan | Camilo Viloria Arrieta Colombia | Tomáš Brož Czech Republic | Sophon Sae-Li Thailand |
| Date and Place | Miss Deaf World | First Vicemiss Deaf World | Second Vicemiss Deaf World | Miss Deaf Europe | Miss Deaf Sympathy | Mister Deaf World | Mister Deaf Europe | Not awarded |
| July 19, 2014. Congress Hall of TOP Hotel Prague | Lydia Svobodova Slovakia | Maria Isabel Carlos Maia Brazil | Xiao Yuan Liu China | Olivera Lozić Serbia | Pitiyanan Matthayomphan Thailand | Jean-Marie Bourdon France | David Spiess Austria | Not awarded |
| July 13, 2013. Congress Hall of TOP Hotel Prague | Thaisy Payo (25 years) Brazil | Erika Ďuricová (20 years) Slovakia | Queval Marianne (23 years) France | Kinal Timea Melinda (23 years) Hungary | Niahkale Sako (22 years) Mali | Christian Paul López Bernal (26 years) Mexico | Bohuš Vlačuha (20 years) Czech Republic | Not awarded |
| July 7, 2012. Congress Hall of TOP Hotel Prague | Karin Keuter (20 years) Germany | Maiko Sakvarelashvili (20 years) Georgia | Mariana Latseviuk Ukraine | Mariana Latseviuk Ukraine | Adjelina Corovic Montenegro | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| July 8, 2011. Prague | Ilaria Galbusera Italy | Elena Korchagina Russia | Dian Inggravati Soebangil Indonesia Title was revoked | Natalya Ryabova Belarus | Ilaria Galbusera Italy | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| July 9, 2010. Tbilisi, Georgia | Alena Smyslova Russia | Zhihuang Wang China | Stella Falawo Kunjan Ghana | Alena Smyslova Russia | Portia Stacei Oliver South Africa | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2009. Prague | Diana Kotvun Ukraine | Simhiwe Magagula Eswatini | Mariya Baranova Russia | Nina Dividtinidze Georgia | Zuzana Zliechovcova Slovakia | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| July 12, 2008. Prague | Rossana Mazzocchio (19 years) United Kingdom | Michaela Theimerova (21 years) Czech Republic | Yulia Arslanova (19 years) Russia | Not awarded | Jasmin Katzberg (22 years) Germany | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| July 14, 2007. Prague | Qingling Baova (25 years) China | Kristina Weber (21 years) Germany | Nila Kudlykova (19 years) Ukraine | Not awarded | Terneil Nicole Oppel (19 years) South Africa | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2006. Prague | Ivana Novelic Serbia | Marina Chukhriy Ukraine | Viera Zliechcová Slovakia | Not awarded | Angeligue Verstraete Belgium | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2005. Prague | Petronela Petrovičová Slovakia | Daniejela Bukvic Serbia | Julia Agapova Russia | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2004. Prague | Candice Morgan (22 years) South Africa Title was revoked | Vaida Kuzminskyte (22 years) Lithuania | Tatyana Prichodko (21 years) Ukraine | Not awarded | Tatyana Prichodko (21 years) Ukraine | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| July 19, 2003. Prague | Galina Broiko (21 years) Ukraine Then: Nastjana Pridok Ukraine By MMDW website | Natalia Chochlova (22 years) Russia | Sara Melech (16 years) Israel | Not awarded | Zhang Huanying (25 years) China | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2002. Prague | Danijela Gedovic Serbia | Ludmila Šinglarová Czech Republic | Natália Martinenko Ukraine | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2001. Mallorca | Viktoriia Prytychenko Ukraine | Bulgaria | Czech Republic | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded | Not awarded |