The Miss Guyana Phagwah Pageant convened last Saturday night saw controversy galore when the organizers of the show overruled the judges’ choice of queen, and named the second runner up the new Miss Guyana Phagwah.
Stabroek News understands that after Genevieve Gouveia was announced queen at the Starlite Drive-in and she was crowned and sashed, the promoters announced that there was a controversy between the judges and themselves, and as such Naomi Singh, originally second runner-up, was the winner.
It is understood that after the promoters made their announcement Gouveia’s mother took the crown and sash and returned it to the promoter, Asif Nawaz, and he in turn proceeded to have Singh crowned the queen.
Efforts to reach Nawaz yesterday for a comment proved futile.
However, a release issued by chief judge, Andrea Rohlehr-McAdam on behalf of the judging panel, which included Sharon Moonsammy Rasheed, Dolly Kissoon and Aniela Sears confirmed that their decision had been overturned.
The release said that after the finalists were chosen - among them, Subrina Prettypaul, subsequently named first runner-up, and Bindia Bissoon, third runner-up - they were asked the same question, “If you could be someone else for a day who would you be and why?”
“The first contestant to answer the question asked for it to be repeated several times and then had difficulty in really answering the question. The second contestant chose her mother as the person she would most like to be and the third contestant opined that she would want to be President of Guyana and deal with the current electricity crisis that is affecting the lives of all Guyanese. The final contestant stated that she would want to be no one else but herself,” the release said.
After the queen was crowned and the usual photographs and interviews were in progress, then the surprising announcement was made.
According to the release, shortly after the queen was crowned, Brian Singh, trainer for the pageant and member of the International Tarana Dance Troupe, took the microphone and announced that there was a controversy involving the organisers and the judges. “This took me by surprise as to my knowledge there was no controversy. Seconds later Mr Singh announced that because of the controversy the trainers and organisers of the Miss Guyana Phagwah Pageant had decided that another contestant deserved to win, and as such they were giving the crown to Miss Naomi Singh.”
Rohlehr-McAdam’s statement said that she then informed Nawaz that he was in no position to change the decisions made by the judges since their decision was final. “He informed me in the presence of the MC that the wrong girl won, and that Naomi deserved the prize. I was and still am in possession of all the score sheets signed by all of the judges. At that point I took my leave as voices were now being raised in protest and I thought it best that my party and I leave the premises.”
The release said that based on the system of judging and scoring Miss Gouviea is Miss Guyana Phagwah 2003, and she also won the titles of Best Introduction and Best Talent.
The chief judge said she is more than willing to share the information contained on the score sheets, and further challenge Nawaz to show “just cause to his sponsors and the Guyanese public at large why the judges’ decision in this pageant should not be upheld. Pageantry rules the world over state that the judges’ decision is final.”