Lumumba touts Guyana as venue for Miss Universe 2007
By Steve Ninvalle in Ecuador
Stabroek News
June 3, 2004
Franchise holder of the Miss Guyana Universe Odinga Lumumba is moving towards bringing the Miss Universe 2007 Pageant to Guyana.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek News in Ecuador during the 53rd Miss Universe Pageant, Lumumba said he has approached the Miss Universe Committee and has received a favourable response. He said that immediately on his return to Guyana this week, he will be holding discussions with Minister of Tourism Manzoor Nadir.
"I have started discussions with the Miss Universe Committee and the response has been favourable. We have been discussing this thing for over two years about Guyana being the host or the joint host of the 2007 Miss Universe Pageant," Lumumba said.
However, the local franchise holder acknowledged that government will have to be a part of the equation if the "Guyana Dream" is to be realised. "It wouldn't make sense for me to push it if it doesn't have government support. I intend to speak to Mr Nadir when I return."
But he said that even if government was unable to come on board he still intends to push to hold the pageant in the Caribbean.
"The important thing is to get Guyana interested. The whole world can focus on Guyana and its tourist industry. If Guyana is not interested, I know other Caribbean countries are interested. But as a Guyanese I wish to sell the idea to my country first."
Sister Caricom state Trinidad and Tobago hosted the 1999 Miss Universe Pageant. "After viewing what happened in Trinidad and in Panama I think that Guyana is quite capable of hosting [if not the entire thing] a segment of the Miss Universe Pageant."
Lumumba said 2007 was selected because during that same year the West Indies will be hosting the Cricket World Cup. "By that time all the Caribbean countries would have their facilities up and running for the World Cup. We are looking at holding it between May and June so that the Caribbean will benefit from two major affairs. What is more important is that the facilities are being built and all the hotels will need international activity."
Lumumba promised that within two months an official preliminary proposal will be dispatched to the Miss Universe Committee.
A joint Caribbean hosting of the event, he said, would see the preliminary competitions being held in Guyana. "The swimsuit aspect can be held in Barbados and the finals in Jamaica… I think that they [the Miss Universe committee] like the idea.
"If you may have noticed that here in Ecuador the delegates have been doing lots of things outside Quito. It takes about an hour to get to Barbados."
According to Lumumba, the staging of the competition would do wonders for Guyana. "We would be exposing ourselves to the world," he added.
Miss Australia Jennifer Hawkins is the 53rd Miss Universe, eclipsing 79 other beauties on Tuesday night.