Over 60 screened for Miss World

Screening began at 9 am at Club Zen, Keate Street, Port-of-Spain before the screening committee headed by Peter Elias, who is chief coordinator of the local Miss World pageant. The girls were judged on their fitness and general appearance, and tested in their communication skills, from which seven finalists were chosen to appear before a panel of judges at the “TDC’s Miss T&T” last evening also at Club Zen. The finalists included Arviyan Thomas, Anne Whight, Priya Chandaballi, Varlene Maharaj, Katrina Geetoah, Keisha Marie Charles and Candice Worrel. The screening of delegates and crowning of a Miss TT/World representative were scheduled to take place all on one day due to this country’s absence of a delegate at the Miss Universe pageant scheduled for May 28 in Mexico City.

Elias said an appeal for funding from the business community was made without success, therefore there were no funds to host the pageant.

As a result, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Gender Affairs donated $300,000 towards the preparation of a contestant to represent TT at the Miss World pageant. Funding for the pageant also came from the Tourism Development Committee (TDC), hence the pageant’s name.

Elias emphasised that the pageant was significant to the country because it promoted our culture to billions of people around the world. He added that the chosen representative to Miss World would be of “a particular level of intelligence, beauty and ability to interact with the international media.

“Each country puts up a young woman to represent an ideal of young womanhood. The bikini-wear section emphasises health and fitness, the evening wear shows grace and elegance, while the national costume section highlights indigenous culture,” he explained.

He reiterated his disappointment about not having a representative at Miss Universe, saying it should not happen again.

Trinidad and Tobago won the Miss World title in 1986 when we were represented by Giselle La Ronde-West.