Hanoi - The newly crowned Miss Vietnam is likely to have her trophy revoked after local media reported Thursday she had not graduated from high school, which violates the contest's rules.

Tran Thi Thuy Dung, 18, from the central city of Danang, was crowned Miss Vietnam 2008 at the biennial national beauty contest on August 31, held in the tourist town of Hoi An.

The profile of Dung distributed at the contest stated she had graduated from high school. But the newspaper Tuoi Tre reported Thursday this was not true.

Pham Sy Liem, principal of the Quang Trung High School where Dung used to study was quoted as saying she left the school in the middle of the 2007-2008 academic year, before graduating.

"If it is true that she hasn't graduated from high school, then it's a violation of the beauty pageant regulations issued by the Ministry of Culture in 2006," said Phan Xuan Thanh, head of the ministry's Inspection Department.

The ministry's Regulation No 37 states that "only Vietnamese female citizens ages between 18 and 27, 1.6 metres tall or more, not having undergone plastic surgery, unmarried and having graduated from high school, are qualified for Miss Vietnam contests."

The regulation says that the crowns may be revoked if the winners had violated the rules.

Duong Xuan Nam, head of the organizing board of the Miss Vietnam 2008 contest, refused to comment on the case.

An official with the People's Committee of Danang told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa the city postponed an event planned for Thursday at which Dung was to receive a cash award of 30 million dong (1,800 dollars) in recognition of bringing the Miss Vietnam prize to Danang.

"We decided to postpone the meeting after the media said she has not graduated from high school," the official said on condition of anonymity. "We will wait until things are clear." (dpa)