Guyana posse for Puerto Rico to back Mia
Stabroek News
May 23, 2002
Guyana's contestant in this year's Miss Universe pageant billed for Puerto Rico next Wednesday will have strong home support as some 30-odd of her family members and relatives will attend the event.
Mia Rahaman will also have the support of the four other delegates who made it in the top five - Petal De Santos, Juanita Collins, Shammane Joseph and Asha Pieters - and another contestant, Olivia Brown.
The Miss Universe franchise holder, Odinga Lumumba yesterday told Stabroek News the five young ladies have already received their US visas and are slated to travel on Monday.
Also speaking to Stabroek News yesterday was Rahaman's father, Ray Rahaman, who said that at least 30 of the young lady's family members and relatives would be travelling to the island. These include himself, her mother, Sultana Rahaman who is already in Puerto Rico, sisters and brother, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.
The proud father said while he and a few others would be leaving on Friday, most of the others would leave on Sunday. He said they would be sitting in the middle section of the audience along with the other contestants and other persons who might be travelling to view the pageant.
Ray Rahaman said that he hoped their presence would boost his daughter's confidence, adding that they would take along flags, jerseys bearing her photograph, banners and photographs of the queen which they would use on the night of the pageant.
He said that as soon as they stepped off the plane they would be waving their flags to make it known that a Guyana posse was in town.
"Our effect in the audience on the night of the pageant will be good," the father predicted. He added that his daughter had received good support from her friends and other well-wishers.
Rahaman said he spoke to Mia on Tuesday night and she told him she was confident that she would be among the top ten.
"Once she gets in the top ten, I know she will be one of the top three," the father said yesterday.
Lumumba said that they had hired a Communication Specialist from Howard Uni-versity in the US, Omarosa Stallwarth, who is presently in Puerto Rico working with Mia for her question and answer segment. He said he was confident that Mia would make her presence felt pointing out that she has been well prepared and it is "all in her hands now."
He acknowledged that the young woman should have had some more time for training, adding that was the reason next year's Miss Guyana/ Universe contest would be held earlier in the year so that the queen will have about three more months to train.