Sonia Ahmed, President of Miss Pakistan World and now Miss Pakistan Universe began her quest to introduce a pageant for the Pakistani girls and boys in Pakistan. Appointing Saman Hasnain as the Director of Pakistan (Affairs), Ahmed has now begun the strong campaign to introduce the first Miss Pakistan Universe pageant as well as Mr. Pakistan Universe pageant for 2014.
Ahmed said, “I am pleased to offer something to my country in its own ways and cultural norms. There will be no swim suits and that pageant will be for the people of Pakistan and by the people of Pakistan.” She continued, “I always wanted Pakistan to get a huge industry for beauty and competitions, but there were many hinderances, and every year we get tons of applications from Pakistan but we cannot do much with them as they would require a visa to come to Canada. But today I am happy to introduce Pakistan with its own pageant on its soil. It took me 12 years but this dream is finally going to happen!” Saman Hasnain won the Mrs. Pakistan World pageant in 2008 and has competed in 2 international beauty pageants: Mrs. World and Mrs. Globe. Under a strong team of people, Miss Pakistan Universe and Mr. Pakistan Universe will be taking place in Lahore, Pakistan in 2014. This will begin the first establishment for the pageant to be taking place on the soil of Pakistan.
Hasnain added, “I am very happy to become a part of this venture and since I was always passionate about beauty pageants, I feel that this is what Pakistan needs, to celebrate its culture and people. We are strictly keeping this as much Pakistani as we can, with no swim suits. We are Pakistanis and we will always follow our culture. I am very happy to come on board and promote this pure Pakistani beauty pageant as well as competition for the boys and girls. We are proud Pakistanis and this will be an extention to Pakistan’s massive fashion industry. The winners of these competition will get the support from the fashion, drama and film industry.”
Touchagte Global Inc. is an established company that has founded the pageant industry for Pakistan in 2002. Successfully continuing since 2002, Touchgate Global Inc., under President Sonia Ahmed has launched over 30 Pakistani beauty queens through the Miss Pakistan World and Mrs. Pakistan World pageants. Mr. Pakistan World was also launched in 2011 as an extension to all male model competitions. Miss Pakistan Universe and Mr. Pakistan Universe are newly founded pageants since 2012 and have established their roots in Pakistan. The first Miss Pakistan Universe will be taking place in Pakistan in 2014 in Lahore, Pakistan. The good thing about the pageant is that it is not following the typical Western beauty pageant theme and hence will showcase the fashion of Pakistan as well as the culture of Pakistan. The pageant is an extension of a mega fashion show as well as performers coming from Canada to celebrate Pakistani culture, fashion and beauty pageants.
BY SUZANNE MARINO
ATLANTIC CITY – Plans for the 93rd Miss America pageant are gearing up – and Miss America Organization CEO Sam Haskell said Monday, April 28 on the boardwalk at Kennedy Plaza that the plan is to build on last year’s success and go bigger. He said the Miss America Show Us Your Shoes Parade, set for 5-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, will have many more free spaces available for families to come, set up their chairs, put down their blankets and make memories of their own. “When we spoke with our fans, the one thing that everyone loved and had great memories of was coming to Atlantic City with their family and watching the parade. We want people to have the chance to make memories of their own,” Haskell said. There will be a select few seats available for ticket holders, but the rest of the boardwalk will be for families and fans to cheer and enjoy the tradition of the parade. The parade will begin at Revel Casino and end at Albany Avenue. Performances will be at Kennedy Plaza in front of Boardwalk Hall.
The plan is to include more local groups, youths, choirs, dance groups, tumblers and gymnasts. Haskell said the 52 contestants will ride in convertibles along the parade route, something Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri described as one of the best events. “I don’t remember much about the crowning, but I remember everything about the parade and all of the people cheering along the parade route,” she said Monday. “It defined the real heart of the events leading up to the pageant that the contestants experienced. That is what makes Atlantic City and Miss America perfect together.” Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian was part of the festivities Monday. “Welcome back, Miss America. We love you,” he said. Standing in the shadow of Boardwalk Hall, the permanent Miss America statue was unveiled. Toms River sculptor Brian Hanlon talked about how honored he was to create a lasting tribute to Miss America. The statue unveiled in September 2013 was a resin cast of Hanlon’s work. The 6,000-pound bronze sculpture was unveiled Monday in front of fans and supporters of Miss America, including Davuluri and Miss America 1984 Suzette Charles. “This is a really important project for me. Not only is the statue something to decorate our landscape, but what it represents is so important,” Hanlon said. “The scholarship; I understand how hard so many people work to help change women’s lives.”
Hanlon said a panel featuring pictures of Charles and Bette Cooper, the only two Miss New Jerseys to win the crown, is an important part of the landscape in Kennedy Plaza. While Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan was a model for the stature, it also draws from other contestants, including Charles, Hanlon said. “We wanted a statue that would reflect who Miss America is,” he said. It is also meant to be fun, and the statue was an instant hit with everyone who walked by. They all wanted a picture of themselves being crowned.
The statue was the suggestion of local radio talk show Pinky Kravitz of Margate, according to Liza Cartmel of the Atlantic City Alliance. “Pinky was the brain that put the wheels in motion for the statue. The panels behind the statue help to celebrate the pageant’s Jersey roots,” she said. Kravitz called the finished statue a magnificent addition to Atlantic City and a popular spot for people to come for pictures. A kiosk near the statue will allow anyone to walk up and read about Miss America and its contestants throughout the 93-year history of the pageant. Charles, who was living in Mays Landing when she went from being the first runner-up to becoming Miss America, said she was feeling a lot of emotion as she looked around. Charles acknowledged that the pageant has changed over the years, but said it still does what it has done since its beginnings, and that is to support the dreams of women. “I think the pageant still represents the best in women,” she said.
Charles, who was accompanied by her daughter, Anna Pley, 18, said she was proud to be able to have her share of the experience in Atlantic City. Haskell announced that unlike last year when tickets to the pageant events went on sale several weeks before the parade, the website is up and running, and visitors can check out the events and make plans to attend the preliminary competitions or the live broadcast. Miss America will also do a live “20/20” airing the hour prior to the pageant broadcast on ABC.
Source: OneIndia
Washington, May 6: Nina Davuluri, the first Indian American to be crowned Miss America, will lead the women's forum session and the "Be Fit Be Cool' walkathon at the 32nd annual convention of Indian-origin physicians. Over 2,000 physicians and their families are expected to attend the annual convention of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic association of physicians in the US, from June 25 to 29 in San Antonio, Texas.
The convention will deliberate on ways to enhance their own professional growth and identify ways to network and stay united and offer a unified voice to protect their rights as well as explore possibilities to give back to the society, said AAPI president Jayesh Shah. Childhood obesity Awareness Campaign, a pioneering preventive health initiative of AAPI in collaboration with local chapters across several states, was launched in San Antonio by the Texas Indo-American Physicians Society (TIPS) South West Chapter. The Convention will be held from June 25 to 29 in San Antonio, Texas The obesity prevention initiative is one of the top priorities for AAPI, Shah stated. "The Be Fit. Be Cool campaign aims to involve at least two elementary schools in each state to launch the educational programme for youth to adopt simple easy to follow tips to eat more vegetables and fruits, engage in at least one hour of daily physical activity, limit recreational screen time and eliminate sugary drinks," he added.
"Many of the physicians who will attend this convention have excelled in different specialties and sub-specialties and occupy high positions as faculty members of medical schools, heads of departments, and executives of hospital staff," said AAPI vice president Seema Jain. "The AAPI Convention offers an opportunity to meet directly with these physicians who are leaders in their fields and play an integral part in the decision-making process regarding new products and services," she said
