Front Page

Miss World choice at weekend

Parvathy Omanakuttan

JOHANNESBURG: More than a hundred of the world’s most beautiful women compete on Saturday for the Miss World crown, after a month travelling in South Africa, with some decidedly unglamorous moments on safari.

During the two-hour show, set to begin at 8-30 p.m. Indian time, the beauties will parade on stage in gowns created by South African and Jamaican designers.

This year’s event has a special focus on song, dance and music, with Miss England and others performing on stage, organisers said.

The women, aged 17 to 25, arrived in South Africa one month ago and have criss-crossed the country for an endless series of galas, rehearsals and press conferences — and of course a safari.

Trading their sequins for T-shirts and sneakers, they gamely tromped into the bush to see lions and giraffes, play djembe drums, sleep in huts and cook traditional Zulu meals.

Contestants from the eight countries in the FIFA Confederations Cup, which takes place in South Africa in June as a warm-up for the 2010 World Cup, also joined in the draw for their teams.

South Africa hopes the pageant, broadcast in 180 countries to an estimated one billion viewers, will help overcome Johannesburg’s reputation for crime and promote the city as a tourist spot.

Since the pageant began in 1951, it has been held in South Africa eight times.

Julia Morley, head of the Miss World committee that organises the event, says the pageant serves a charitable purpose. “Over the years the crown that is worn by the winner is a symbol for fundraising. Miss World herself, this year, the winner from China, she’s raised over 30 million dollars in her year in office,” she said. “So perhaps from anything else it does a lot of good things for needy children and old people, which I think is important too.”

Viewers can vote online for their favourite contestant, and the winner of the online poll will go directly to the semi-final round.

Miss Barbados, Miss Mexico, Miss Russia and Miss Iceland have already secured spots in the semi-finals by winning special competitions in the run-up to the big show.

An international jury will decide on the next Miss World, who will succeed China’s Zhang Zi Lin, who was crowned last year when the pageant was held in her home country.

The competition was originally slated for October 4 in Kiev, but was delayed in September over security concerns due to the conflict between neighbours Russia and Georgia.

The 112 candidates say they’re thrilled to be travelling around Durban’s beaches and the Entabeni game reserve during South Africa’s summer, when they could be facing freezing temperatures in Ukraine.

“I was happy when they changed to South Africa. It has always been my dream to go to South Africa. It’s good they changed because here there is no danger,” said Miss Georgia, Khatuna Skhirtladze, an 18-year-old student who says she is good friends with both Miss Russia and Miss Ukraine.

India’s hopes hinge on Parvathy Omanakuttan, 21, 5 feet 9 inches tall, from Kerala.

Indian beauty queens who have been crowned in the past are Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan (1994), Priyanka Chopra (2000), Diana Hayden (1997) and Yukta Mookhey (1999).

“I am very much confident about my victory. Femina Miss India World is not merely a crown of joy for me. With the crown, the responsibility of upholding the name of the country has also fallen on my shoulders,” Ms. Parvathy said in a statement released in New Delhi. — Agencies

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu