Pakistan to get its own beauty pageant

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.

Atlantic City unveils Miss America statue, plans for pageant

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.

Nina Davuluri to attend Indian origin physicians meet

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

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Confessions of a Pageant Director: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

BY TAMI CHARLES (Source: The Pageant Planet)

Oh, to be a pageant director! The glamour! The perks! The big, fat business accounts! Ummm…NOT!

While a single pageant contestant must focus solely on herself; a pageant director has to think about every single detail: the contestants, the judges, the hotel bill, the awards, the sound, the lights, the cash awards, the hotel bill, the venue, the scripts…Did I mention the hotel bill? With that said, here are few points that we, as directors, want you to be aware of:

Other Responsibilities
Unless we direct “big money, sponsor driven” pageants like Miss USA or Miss America, most of us have day jobs. That means we either do our pageant work around 5 am before we go to our “bill-paying” jobs, or we slog through pageant mailings, orders, and emails with the hooting owls in the wee hours of the night.
By day, I teach elementary school. By night (and most weekends), I’m a state director for the Miss New Jersey American Coed Pageant.

Director Backgrounds
Directors have a ton of experience in many facets of pageantry. Almost all of us started out as contestants and have experienced small (or large) success in competing. There’s a saying that “Old queens never die, they just become staff!” Once we age out, we usually move on to coaching, emceeing, choreography, producing, and/or judging. The next organic step is directing. How could we not? It becomes encoded in our DNA.

How We Feel About You
If you do a pageant solely for the crown, you’re in it for the wrong reasons. You probably need to sit back and reevaluate why you chose to be on stage in the first place. Pageants are about personal growth, not the competition. It may sound cliché, but we truly wish that we could have EVERY girl win the pageant. But, if we did that we’d probably go bankrupt. (For further clarification, re-read the first bullet.)

What We Do
As directors, we work extremely hard to produce a fun and fair pageant. Remember that pageants are like any other sport. You win some, you lose some! And when you do lose a pageant (because by universal law you will lose a few to win big in the end), maintain your dignity. Don’t bad mouth the director, judges, or pageant itself. Social media does not serve as the couch in a therapy session!

Of course you wanted to win. We wanted you to win, too….and every other girl on that stage. But if that happened, we’d probably go broke and have to sell our souls to the devil (See bullet #1… again). I digress. The bottom line is this: Lose with grace. Win with pride.

You never know when you will see that director or judge again. Perhaps at the next pageant? And trust me, the last thing you want is to run into someone who saw you being a sore loser at the last pageant.

To wrap it up, just know that most pageant directors have the BEST intentions in mind. For us, the biggest payoff is when we see you up on that stage shining and w-o-r-k-i-n-g it!

Disclaimer: The points listed in this article are not 100% my own. They are a collection of thoughts and messages that pageant directors have shared with me (in confidence) as we continue to steer our way through this fun and crazy world of pageantry.

Ad designed for Genesis Codina Wins "Outstanding Ad" Award!

Great news are worth sharing: This message from one of our clients, Genesis Codina, who just competed at MISS TEENAGE CALIFORNIA, made our week: "I am very honored and happy to have received the 2014 MISS TEENAGE CALIFORNIA PAGEANT OUTSTANDING AD AWARD during competition. This award is granted to the contestant that submitted the best ad for publication in the pageant program book. I want to thank my designer, Esteban Medaglia of PAGEANT DESIGN for such beautiful ad..." THANK YOU, Genesis, it was our pleasure, and big congrats!

Beyoncé Takes Aim at Beauty Pageants in “Pretty Hurts” Video

It’s hard to imagine there are any Beyoncé fans left who haven’t seen all of her recent album’s high-concept videos many times. But those who didn’t shell out the money for the “eponymous avalanche of songs and videos” can now watch the video for her latest single “Pretty Hurts,” via Time, which songwriter Sia Furler recently revealed was actually meant for Katy Perry—but Perry missed Furler’s email.

In the video, Beyoncé dismantles the controversial world of beauty pageants through the eyes of a contestant labeled “Miss 3rd Ward.” Throughout the video, we see her tossed onto the pageant conveyor belt: poked and prodded for the sake of vanity, lines drawn on her face indicating plastic surgery, and, in the most provocative image, we see her exit a bathroom stall, hand over her mouth, suggesting a bulimic episode. It all comes to a head in the album’s most empowering line, Miss 3rd Ward’s answer to the host’s question, “What is your aspiration in life?” With conviction, she says, “To be happy.”

River Center getting million dollar makeover for Miss USA

By Cheryl Mercedes

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB)

In six weeks, Miss USA 2014 will be crowned in Baton Rouge. The city-parish council has approved one million dollars worth of improvements to the River Center. Managers said those funds will stretch far beyond the pageant stage. On June 8, some of the most beautiful women in the country will take center stage at the River Center arena. That puts the capital city under a bright national spotlight. It is exciting news, especially for General Manager Todd Mitchell.

"We were on a national stage during football season. But this is a national stage with a completely different audience and people all around the world will watch this event," Mitchell said. The 37-year-old facility has got to shine. That includes painting, polishing floors, making repairs, and bringing technology up to the speed of the 21st century, in just six short weeks. "You've got to get in. It's a challenge, let me tell you."

The biggest improvement will be to the arena's Wifi network. Mitchell said the upgrade will allow virtually every person who attends the pageant to connect to the outside world through their smart phones. "Our current network can handle about 500 people at the same time. We're going to be expanding that to be able to host 5,000 people." Mitchell said it was one of the requirements set by the Miss USA Pageant, but it is an upgrade that will benefit Baton Rouge in the long run. "It'll expand past this event and help us market other events we have not been able to bid on certain events because we just couldn't fulfill their network."
He said the possibilities are endless, once the star of the riverfront looks and feels like a million bucks.
Mitchell said, to date, there are only on thousand tickets remaining.

MISS UNIVERSE GABRIELA ISLER PRESENTS AT THE 25TH ANNUAL BILLBOARD LATIN MUSIC AWARDS

Miss Universe Gabriela Isler Presented at the 25th Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards this past Thursday, April 24th.

Miss World Australia Erin Holland’s French connection

by ROZ PULLEY

SHE dazzled judges on the world stage – now our talented Miss World Australia will help choose France’s most beautiful young women. Classically trained Cairns-born opera singer, model and current Miss World Oceania, Erin Holland has been invited on to the judging panel for Miss France in June. “Every year, the Miss France organisation invites one international contestant to judge their competition, so it’s exciting they picked me out of everybody in any competitive pageant for 2013,” the 25-year-old said during a surprise Easter visit home to her parents in Freshwater. Ms Holland said the French competition differed from Australia, where the Miss World and Miss Universe contests were run separately.

“Miss France is the country’s most prestigious competition and is actually Miss Universe, Miss World and any other pageant all in one,” she said. It is the latest international jaunt for the busy Sydney-based model and entertainer, whose blonde good looks, easy manner and elegance took her into the top 10 against 130 nations and gave her a global audience of 2.3 billion while singing a trio from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro with Miss World 2012 and Miss World Indonesia 2013. She has since sung at fundraisers in the US and China, promoted Australia as an education destination in India and Nepal, starred on Channel 9’s Carols by Candlelight and darts around Australia on an almost daily basis for her charity, modelling and singing commitments.

OLIVIA CULPO IN “THE OTHER WOMAN”

Former Miss Universe 2012, Olivia Culpo has a role in “The Other Woman.” After discovering her boyfriend is married, a woman (Cameron Diaz) tries to get her ruined life back on track. But when she accidentally meets the wife he’s been cheating on (Leslie Mann), she realizes they have much in common, and her sworn enemy becomes her greatest friend. When yet another affair is discovered (Kate Upton), all three women team up to plot mutual revenge on their cheating, lying, three-timing SOB. In theaters this Friday.

THE 2014 MISS TEEN USA® COMPETITION RETURNS TO PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS, ON AUGUST 2

The 2014 MISS TEEN USA® Competition will stream LIVE from the Atlantis, Paradise Island Bahamas on Saturday, August 2, 2013 on http://www.missteenusa.com. Cassidy Wolf, Miss Teen USA 2013, will crown her successor at the conclusion of the event. The competition will feature contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Contestants will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview.

Stacy Ramcharran to represent Guyana at Miss Earth Pageant

In the past, Guyana has been represented at various international pageants by delegates who were either selected or chosen by the franchise holders and with the upcoming Miss Earth Pageant, it is no different.The Guyana Indian Worldwide delegate, Katherina Roshana was selected by Chandini Rambalak to represent Guyana in Malaysia. She was chosen after an audition at the Princess Hotel and Casino.Another delegate that was selected to represent Guyana in the said pageant a few years ago was Renata Rambalak. She too failed to bring home the crown.

Alana Seebarran, sponsored by NEW GPC INC, won the local leg of the competition in 2012, and subsequently won Guyana’s first international title, Miss India Worldwide. Ruqayyah Boyer was in 2013 selected by the Miss World Guyana Committee to represent Guyana at the Miss World Pageant in Indonesia and again, she did not come close to winning the coveted title. This year, Simpli Royal, the franchise holder for the Miss Guyana Earth Pageant, has selected a delegate to represent Guyana at the international pageant to be held in the Philippines. There was no pageant to select the best to represent Guyana, but according to Pageant Coordinator Pamela Dillon, several persons were interviewed and Ramcharan was the best of the lot.

Recently, this newspaper made several attempts to interview the selected queen, but all proved futile.The Earth Pageant is expected to draw scores of beauties from around the world, who will definitely showcase their curvy bodies, as they vie for the title. Due to time, the Committee’s last resort was to select Ramcharan whom they thought was the best. She will be mandated to assist in helping to preserve and restore Mother Earth and to support Guyana’s role of raising awareness of climate change. However, Ramcharan, according to Simpli Royal is a motivated, focused young woman, who will fulfil the ideals of the competition and showcase Guyana’s stance on protection of the planet. She was selected on the basis of being a citizen of Guyana; being between the ages of 18 to 26; being between five feet tall, five inches and six feet tall, with weight in proportion to height; possessing beauty of face; and having an outgoing personality, among others.

The coronation of Miss Stacy Ramcharan was be held at the Umana Yana on Tuesday, April 22.

How to Win Miss Minnesota USA

BY MELISSA AVERY GRANATIREThe Pageant Planet

Haley O’Brien is a household pageant name with multiple state and national titles under her belt! She is a competitor that delivers and remains extremely motivated and determined during competition. She captured a USA state title which means she keeps her body in tip top shape and is currently doing extreme prepping for the prestigious title of Miss USA. I was able to get some of her inside tips for preparing for the stage!


MG: What swimsuit prep workout did you use to target your results?
HO: My favorite exercise that I used to slim down and tone up for the swimsuit portion of competition is called “the triathlon.” My mother introduced it to me after she watched a trainer attempt it in the gym.
It’s an hour long cardio exercise set that moves from the treadmill to the elliptical and then to the stair climber. All three cardio “phases” of the triathlon are interval training, meaning you alternate from high intensity to low intensity about every minute. By the end you are just dying!! But if you push through, you feel amazing once its all over. About two months prior to the pageant, I started doing the triathlon 2-4 times a week. I also did a lot of lifting. I did light weight lifting with 25-30 reps at 3 sets each. I alternate arm day and leg day so I can more accurately target muscle groups, and so each portion of my body gets some semblance of a rest day. It is important to understand that you will not get “huge” from lifting! A lot of my closest girlfriends were really nervous about weight training. They were scared they would turn into huge bricks of muscle. Don’t worry! That’s a myth.

Weight training does so much more for your body than cardio. Not only does it increase your metabolism, but you will see results much faster if you put a bigger emphasis on weight training than you do on cardio. It’s not always my favorite part about going to the gym, but it works like magic!

MG: How did you pick out the perfect gown and swimsuit for competition?
HO: For my gown, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with Sherri Hill and Henri’s Cloud 9. I was able to fly to Austin, TX and work with Sherri Hill in her studio. She helped me pick out what beading, coloring and style I wanted my dress to be. She sketched out the design and sent it to the creative studio to be made. I still remember receiving the huge box in the mail!! It was my dream evening gown!! Every detail was perfectly matched to fit my style and body shape! I can’t thank Sherri Hill and Henri’s Cloud 9 enough for the experience. They are both miracle workers when it comes to finding your perfect gown! Finding my swimsuit was a lot less structured. I had some idea of what I wanted, but I had yet to see it in an actual store. I was fortunate enough to walk into a swim shop at Mall of America and find the perfect base shape for my swimsuit. I then took the swimsuit to a tailor and had her create off the shoulder straps for a high fashion twist. I had seen the straps featured in a couture runway show and knew I had to have them on my swimsuit! 

MG: How long before a pageant do you start your diet and exercise prep?
HO: I began training about six months prior to the state pageant. As the state pageant drew nearer, my workouts became more intense. My eating plan also became more rigid. The important thing about preparing for a pageant is making sure you are living a “healthy lifestyle.” I never like to say that I am dieting. Instead, I am focusing on living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle of eating well and going to the gym on a regular basis.

MG: What is one pageant tip that never fails you?
HO: A lot of young women ask me this after they decide to compete in a pageant for the first time. I will always say the same thing: confidence. It takes a lot of confidence to put yourself out there…to walk on a stage in front of an audience…. to sit in a room with a group of strangers and talk about yourself…. to answer an onstage question with poise.

You have to be extremely confident in who you are and what you love. If you are confident, you won’t worry about any of the fine details. Because you won’t be worried, you can just have an absolute blast at the pageant. The judges know which contestants are having fun and they are drawn to those girls! People are naturally drawn to someone who is always smiling and having fun. Confidence allows you to be that person.

Ivana Misura crowned as Miss Universe Croatia 2014

The Zagreb-born Ivana Mišura was crowned the past week by Melita Fabecic (Miss Universe Croatia 2013) as the new queen of Croatia for the next edition of Miss Universe pageant, which will take place further on this year.

The 24 year-old model standing 5’7″ and fluent in Croatian, Italian and English won the crown on April 12th, 2014 at the conclusion of the pageant defeating other 19 contestants fighting for the coveted crown. After being crowned, Mišura said: “This is awesome, a wonderful feeling, I would like to thank everyone for their support”. She concluded with: “In the fashion world you need to watch out with your look, make sure your hair, your dress are all perfect. Posture, attitude, personality, were some aspects part of my preparation”.

Later, on her two days as a queen, she said in an interview: “Smile! It is the most important thing, to laugh a lot, be cheerful, if you are a positive person, people will notice”. The first runner-up of Miss Universe Croatia 2014 was Meri Bencic and the second runner-up was Andrea Generalic. Another prices awarded to other candidates were the Miss Photogenic Award for Mateji Hunjed and Andela Marijanovic won the Miss Congeniality Award.

Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri To participate at The White House Easter Egg Roll

On Monday, April 21st, Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri will be part of the White House's largest annual event, The White House Easter Egg Roll, a 136-year old tradition. This year more than 30,000 people are expected to attend and the theme is "Hop into Healthy, Swing into Shape" in support of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign.

The day-long event will feature egg-rolling, live music, sports, cooking stations and storytelling, where Nina will be one of the featured readers on the Storytime Stage. There she will join other celebrity readers Jim Carrey, former NFL player and NASA astronaut Leland Melvin, DJ Lance Rock, Debby Ryan from the Disney Channel's JESSIE and Sesame Street's Mando, Rosita, Abby Cadabby and Cookie Monster.
Other highlights of the day will include yoga sessions, healthy eating demonstrations as well as appearances by numerous celebrities, world renowned chefs and athletes and of course President Obama and the First Family.

To learn more about the Easter Egg Roll visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/EasterEggRoll. Tune in for live streams from the South Lawn on April 21, 2014 on WhiteHouse.gov/live. You can also join the conversation online using the hashtag #EasterEggRoll and get the latest updates by checking out Let's Move! on Twitter and Facebook.

Source: Miss America Website.