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| Friday, 13 June 2003 |
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Countdown begun for exciting beauty pageant by Jayanthi Liyanage The countdown has just begun for Sri Lanka's most exciting beauty happening. As Lanka's blossoming ambassadresses of beauty, friendship and tourism, spruce up their charms and brains and fly in their entry coupons, September 13 awaits to pick the two most dazzling queens among them to represent the country respectively at Miss International pageant in Tokyo and Miss Tourism International pageant in Sri Lanka. "All beauty candidates taking part in the September 13 pageant at Trans Asia Hotel will automatically enter the competition to select the Sri Lankan representative to both international pageants," assures the local beauty pageant doyen, Sebastian Perera, who is the Franchise Director of both international pageants, besides eleven other beauty pageants, and the owner of Miss Asia International. The glitter pageant promises the added excitement of an equally-glitzy dinner dance at the hotel after the crowning of the beauty queens. The local contestants can look forward to fun and activity-filled days ahead in the four mini-pageants which will lead to the prime pageant at Trans Asia. Miss Swim Suit, Miss Photogenic and Miss Talent contests will be conducted at prominent local hotels while Miss Personality will take off ground at a popular night club. All this entails many mini-titles and prizes to follow. This is the first time in the 42-year history of Miss International pageant that a Sri Lankan has secured the franchise for the local territory. The much-awaited glamour pageant is scheduled to begin on September 24 in Tokyo and conclude on October 19, with beauty delegates flying from over 85 countries for a two-week stay, followed by another week in China. To avoid the risk of SARS in China, the local candidate could continue her stay in Tokyo, assures Perera, while adding to compensate, "The first three winners alone of this pageant, will receive prizes worth of 15 million yen!" The Japanese International Cultural Association in Japan organises the pageant, in association with the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Perera is now engrossed in the mammoth process of bringing 60 beauty queens to Sri Lanka from around the world for the Miss Tourism International pageant to be held later in the year. The only prime international beauty happening to be held locally, the event will feature five mini-pageants held in five exotic local locations, zeroing into the final glamour pageant at the BMICH, as in the previous year. Beauty delegates to the two international pageants will be selected by a competent team of professionals, comprising "Seba", the franchise director and Chairman, Organising Committee and Celsin Ltd. and all-island JP; Ms. Usha Jayawardena, the spearhead of the local pageant; Ms. Jackie Perera, Director, Celsin Ltd.; Ranjit Upali, Ananda Samarakoon, Shirley Ganegoda and Dhammika Gunasekera. Winning as well as taking part in these pageants could do much to broaden the horizons of local young women who seek a launching pad to steer them in careers such as fashion modelling, TV presenting or in the public relations arena. |
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