Sunny Dhaliwal was crowned Miss Asia-Toronto this week, beating out a contestant pool of 45 other beauty queens. Dhaliwal is the first South Asia contestant to win the coveted crown of Miss Asia-Toronto and is now slated to continue competing in worldwide competitions throughout the remainder of the year.

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The Miss Asia-Toronto beauty pageant was held in Markham and has been a longtime tradition in the Canandian town in the Ontario province.

Dhaliwal, 26, made history as she was declared the winner in the competitive pageant which featured beauties throughout the Toronto area that are of South Asian descent.

Toronto's May Tong, 25 and Rowena Zhang, 21, - both of Chinese descent - won second and third place respectively.

Dhaliwal enjoyed her new found fame and appreciates the newfound celebrity status that she has achieved.

"It's an amazing experience," she said. "It will let other people realize that they can also participate in the competition."

"Hopefully that will allow others to enter ... it will make it like a multi-cultural pageant," she said.

Given her recent victory, she will now compete in the Miss Asia Pageant competition in Hong Kong representing Toronto in the contest to be held later this fall.

For the past 20 years, the pageant has been organized by Asia Television Limited (ATV) in Hong Kong.

This is also the world's largest Asian-focused beauty pageant and is also listed as the fourth largest beauty pageant worldwide.

There is also a grand prize of nearly $500,000 USD to the lucky winner of the contest.  

TagsMiss Asia Toronto, Sunny Dhaliwal