Eighteen-year-old Genevieve Gouveia’s dream was always to be a queen and on Saturday night it came true when she was crowned Miss Guyana Phagwah 2003. But her reign was short lived when the crown was taken from her by the promoter and given to another girl. Yesterday, the crown changed heads again and Gouveia was back as the queen.
Crushed
Just as Gouveia was basking in the glory on Saturday night there was a surprise announcement with the second runner-up, Naomi Singh proclaimed the new winner. Gouveia was crushed: “I did not know whether to cry or just start screaming because something was very wrong,” she told Stabroek News yesterday.
She was one of seven girls who participated in the pageant, promoted by Asif Nawaz, which was held at the Starlite Drive-in on Saturday evening.
After the judges, led by chief judge, Andrea Rohlehr-McAdam, had announced Gouveia as winner, the girls’ trainer, Bryan Singh, announced Naomi Singh was the new queen.
However, in a further twist to the saga, Nawaz in a statement yesterday said that Gouveia was in fact the reigning queen and said he respected the judges’ decision and she would receive her prizes accordingly.
“The panel of judges, with the trusted experience of Andrea McAdam as chief judge, decided that Ms Gouveia deserved the crown and so made their decision. The promoter regrets questioning the decision of the judges.”
Nawaz publicly apologised to the queen, her family, the public and the sponsors for any embarrassment or inconvenience that might have been caused.
Despite the turnaround, Gouveia, a film processor at the Galaxy Photo Studio, said she had been traumatised by the entire experience.
She had entered the pageant last year and captured the second runner-up spot. She said she was shocked when she heard the announcement made by Singh.
“Imagine they did not even give it to the first runner-up but went straight to the second runner-up! I don’t understand that at all.”
She said at first she did not pay any attention to the announcement since she knew that the judges had voted her queen and the decision was final. But when she and her mother were summoned by Nawaz she knew right away that her worst nightmare was about to come true. She said that the promoter told her that he needed the crown, sash and bouquet as she was not his queen and that Naomi had won. Gouveia said she asked the promoter if he was really serious about taking back the crown and he replied in the affirmative. At that point her mother, Sabina, handed over the crown and other items to the promoter.
But when contacted yesterday, Nawaz denied asking back for the crown. He pointed out that it was Bryan Singh who had announced that a new queen was picked and not him.
According to Nawaz, after Singh made the announcement Gouveia and her mother approached him and her mother told him that if he wanted the crown he could have it since her daughter did not go up for the crown but because of her love for modelling.
“She den tek she eyes and pass me and was about to put the crown on me head and I had to stretch me hand and collect it or I would have been embarrassed..”
The queen’s mother admitted she was about to put the crown on Nawaz’s head stating that she had been livid at the time.
Nawaz said he had never made the announcement. But a press release from Rohlehr-McAdam stated that after Singh had made the announcement she told Nawaz he was in no position to change the decision and he had said that the wrong girl had won and Singh deserved the prize.
In his press release he said that Singh’s decision to use the microphone to announce Naomi Singh as the queen in contradiction of the judges’ decision “was out of order and should never have happened. Singh will maintain her position as 2nd runner-up.”
Questioned by Stabroek News as to why he did not correct Singh’s erroneous announcement, Nawaz responded by saying that there “was nobody there for me to apologise to, this happen after everyone had already left. Who ah woulda apologise to, the empty seats?”
Asked whether the crown and sash ended up in Singh’s possession, Nawaz could not say, only stating that the queen’s mother was the one who returned the crown to him and he had never asked for it.
He said that he did not have a favourite in the pageant and was satisfied with the judges’ decision.
The young woman’s mother said her daughter was not “dragged up, she was brought up” and that is why she did not create a scene.
“But my daughter was really hurt, she never had any problems with Nawaz nor Singh and I don’t know how they could do that to her. We didn’t know the judges and they gave her the crown and I know she deserved it.”
The queen was decided on the final question which was “If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be and why?”
The queen said that she wanted to be the president of Guyana to deal with the present electricity crisis while Singh said she did not want to be anyone else but herself.
The twenty-one-year-old Singh told Stabroek News yesterday that she felt she gave the best answer and she felt she should have won.
Asked if she agreed with what happened, Singh said that she could not say, but stated that the judges were human and they could make mistakes.
She pointed out that she had not created a scene when the announcement was made but had quickly left the stage since she felt embarrassed and had already changed her clothing when the announcement was made.
“I was barefoot. I could not even find my shoes. I cried when I did not win since I felt I let many people down but I had said this is life...” she said via telephone.
Singh said she did not want the crown, even though she had it in her possession up to yesterday, and that she would return it.
“I could always give it back to her. I don’t want it. If the judges said she was the queen then she is the queen.”
The young woman said she is embarrassed by the entire episode and burst in tears stating that it had roiled her life and she would never enter another pageant.
Gouveia has won herself a trip to Trinidad, a cash prize, jewellery, hampers and other items.