Who will wear the crown?
Stabroek News
September 5, 2002
Come Saturday night, the reigning Miss Guyana/World will crown a new queen and ten young ladies are now eagerly competing for the coveted crown.
The big, big question is who will win? Sadly this newspaper cannot provide the answer. But what is for sure is that all ten young ladies will be fighting tooth and nail, non-violently of course, for the opportunity to represent their country at the Miss World pageant in November.
The judging of the girls commenced on Tuesday night with the television programme “Guyana you decide” which showed footage of the contestants taken at the different resorts around the country. The girls were each allocated a telephone number and the public was invited to dial for the contestant of their choice. The results from Tuesday night’s event will account for 5% of the total amount of points for the contestants.
Today the serious judging begins when the young ladies will take part in the interview and evening gown segments at the National Cultural Centre. On the night the top five will be announced and they are the ones who will be competing on the night of the pageant.
This year’s pageant will be graced with the presence of Trinidad & Tobago model, Michelle Khan who is expected in the country on Friday. Khan represented her country at the Miss World in 1995 and was the first runner-up. She followed this with a second runner-up position at the Miss Universe pageant the following year. In 1998 Khan entered the Miss Top Model of the World competition held in Spain. She then spent three years in Europe modelling for international designers. She has since returned to her country where she is the manager of two companies.
This year is the second time the pageant will be held under K. Chung Entertainment. Olive Gopaul will likely be hesitant to hand over her crown since it is obvious to all that she had an enjoyable reign and performed her duties with class and grace. The Miss Guyana/World committee has been widely lauded for keeping its queen in the spotlight and making her reign meaningful and one that has made an impact in her country even though she did not cop the Miss World crown last year.
It is certainly a breath of fresh air from what has and is still happening where queens are only seen when they win, disappear for twelve months only to surface when they hand over the crown.
Will the crown be handed over to twenty-year-old Melesa Archer? She recently said that she would win because she is a focussed, disciplined and well-rounded person. This beauty hails from 452 East Ruimveldt and is a third year student in International Relations at the University of Guyana (UG). She says that as a child she sometimes imagined what it would feel like to be a beauty contestant.
Well now she knows the feeling, and she said being part of the pageant will be an everlasting experience and the “inner peace gained would make me stronger and more self-confident.” She says that being sensitive and loving to people is something that makes her feel good and she always tries to be a good role model to her friends and especially her younger sister. “Life can be great even though filled with ups and downs but one has to be self-confident and live life to the fullest.”
Sweet soft spoken, Ryiela Gaffar, whose short cropped hair suits her facial features, might very well be the new queen. After all she said she would win, because she is confident enough to know she could represent her country. “I am capable of doing it. I can sell myself and my country to the people of Nigeria (where the Miss World pageant will be held).” She feels she could succeed as long as she carries herself well on the night and shows people that she is not afraid. At twenty and standing at 5’9” Gaffar describes herself as “tall, thin and stately, fair in complexion with brown eyes and black hair with brown highlights.” She is currently employed as a clerk at the Department of Education, Region Three.
At nineteen, Odessa Phillips is the baby of the family but she thinks she will win the pageant because she possesses the attributes of, “a titleholder, a queen. I am poised, elegant, disciplined and I am a humble person.” She says although she is the youngest of the bunch, it is the second time she has been involved in pageantry so she has the experience. She is now pursuing a degree in law at the University of Guyana. This charming beauty was born in Vergenoegen but said she was never a fan of the agricultural life. She was more inspired by actresses like Angela Lansbury.
Twenty-year-old Ali Williams, is tipped by many to walk away with the crown. But can she pull it off? “Yes”, she said following this by saying she is “hoping to win.” The reason being, “I have everything it takes to be a queen. I am beautiful, intelligent, and I have a great personality.” She follows this up by saying that she is a humanitarian. She is working very hard, adding that when one puts 100% into something you get 100% in return. Williams standing at 5’9” said she is “copper toned”. She recently completed a diploma in Public Communications at UG. She is the youngest of three sisters and her long-term goal is to become a lawyer. Many feel that this radiant young woman has the body of the model and coupled with her intelligence she has a good chance.
But what about twenty-two-year-old Samantha Crandon? She seems like a very bold young lady and she will stop short of nothing (as long as it’s legal) to get that coveted crown on her head. “Yes, I will win. I have so much in store to give to the people of Nigeria,” was her confident response recently. She says she will win the crown by gaining the confidence of the judges and the audience.
She is a nurse in the High Dependency Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital and thinks being a contestant in the pageant is even more exciting than a few trips she has taken overseas.
The name Marceline Basdeo might be familiar to many even before she entered the pageant since as she put it “recently she suffered a very unpleasant and traumatic experience at the hands of some kidnappers who also hijacked my car.”
Basdeo, 22, was the young woman who made the news when along with a man she went missing for two days. They later turned up stating that they had been bundled into Basdeo’s car by bandits who later left them in an abandoned house from where they made their escape. She said through the compassion and mercy of the “kidnappers and the fervent and sincere prayers of the people of all over Guyana her life was spared.” At twenty-three Basdeo is already a graduate from UG with a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree. And what does she think about her chances?
She said besides being beautiful, intelligent and fitting all the requirements of Miss Guyana World? “I have a humanitarian quality.” She added that she has a pleasant personality and is well groomed, poised and a rounded individual.
“I will win because I am confident and I believe in myself. I know I that I can do whatever Miss Guyana/World requires.” These are the words of charming twenty-three-year-old Marita Persaud who is a favourite of many. She is employed at North American Fire and General Insurance Co. Ltd (NAFICO). Persaud said she is a “vivacious” Gemini and her childhood in the Pomeroon was filled with love and laughter. But she was a quiet child who used to shy away from compliments. “Now that I am no longer shy, I love people. When I am walking down the road and people stop and stare and sometimes say ‘Wow!,’ I feel a deep sense of pride at that.”
Tiny twenty-two-year-old Danielle Mc Intyre, is not to be left behind, in fact she is certainly a frontrunner. Standing at 5’8”, Mc Intyre said she is of African, Indian, Amerindian and Portuguese descent. A true Guyanese! She says she will win, but quickly follows this up by stating that even if she does not she will certainly be one of the runners-up for the crown. Named after the author, Danielle Steele, she is employed at Stabroek News and says she plans to pursue studies at UG. Her career goal is to become a computer technician or a web page designer.
Twenty-two-year-old Candida Telles said she is smart and stated that her talent is her intelligence as well as her inner beauty. She is mixed with all the races that make up her country and this she plans to take to Miss World to showcase Guyana’s diversity. Telles has since completed a diploma and degree in computer science at UG. She plans to pursue a post graduate programme in computer science in New Zealand.
Twenty-year-old Maliza Walton is well known as she is a reporter employed with Prime News and sometimes anchors the newscast.
She said she is extremely “vivacious” and she enjoys relaxing and trying new things. “I have an extremely adventurous spirit and have been known on occasion to be outrageous,” Walton said. This beauty is now at UG pursuing a degree in communications studies. Walton, who could also be described as being bold is a favourite to win the crown.
Well readers, take your pick of these lovely ladies. After Saturday night which one of them will be off to Nigeria carrying the pride of Guyana with them. The suspense is unbearable! Stay tuned!