Miss Intercontinental pageant to be held in Colombo next month

By Zahara Zuhair 
The 45th edition of Miss Intercontinental pageant themed, ‘The Fairy Tale’, is set to be held  for the first time in Sri Lanka on 16th of October with the participation of about 76 contestants from around the world.
It was officially declared by reigning Miss Intercontinental Valentina Rasulova of Russia at a press conference held in Colombo recently.
“With no doubt Sri Lanka has become the most loved tourist destination and we are glad to be able to support and to promote Sri Lanka worldwide with our presence, spirit and passion,” Europe Miss Intercontinental Organisation CEO Detlef 
Tursies said.
He said that the idea of brining  the event to Sri Lanka started after having a short conversation with one of his old colleague in Sri Lanka, whereas he visited Sri Lanka afterwards and had discussions  of doing something to the Sri Lankan tourism.
He said apart from the beautiful landscapes, safety was another reason to choose Sri Lanka over other two countries that competed to get the contest, which were Thailand and Egypt. “We are also looking for security, that is very important to us. Sri Lanka is  safe, we feel very secured here. Also the infrastructure, we have good connections all over the world to reach Colombo. That is also one reason which interested us in here,” he said.He said that this pageant has changed the lives of many contestants, citing examples such as Indian actress Lara Dutta,  who went on to win the Miss Universe title in 2000,  three years later after winning the  Miss Intercontinental pageant in 1997.
He added that it was a good school for participants to have proper training of walking and speaking and a good platform for participants to achieve their dreams and what they wanted in life.

As the pageant would bring contestants from various backgrounds and cultures, Tursies was hopeful that everyone would  have an amazing time in Sri Lanka. The official choreographer for the event Torsten Ulrich Galts, who is visiting Sri Lanka after 18 years said that apart from the national attires, swimwear and  evening gown segments, this  year they have come up with a novel idea, as they are expecting to add fairy tale stories to the show.
Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts Head of BMT Dileep Mudadeniya, who are  organising and conceptualising the event, said that that they were hosting this event not only to have a nice event but also  to give a positive message to the world about Sri Lanka.
“The idea is how to take the positivity of this event and create some vibes and encourage people to come and visit Sri Lanka,” he said.
He said that prior to the final, the contestants would enjoy a pre-pageant tour around the country in Galle, Beruawla, Habarana, Trincomalee and Colombo to explore and discover the country.
“This 7-8 days will give them some sort of idea of what Sri Lanka is, some times advertising  cannot take the  message that you want, but events will give you that endorsement and  association for people to believe,” he said.
It also will involve mini pageants and activities in various locations of Sri Lanka and  well known celebrities are expected to feature in entertainment acts and in judging. When inquired it was noted that the Sri Lankan participant for the pageant was not yet confirmed.
Further, it was mentioned that the crown named ‘Oriental Holy Water’ which would crown the winner, was worth over US $ 360,000.
The Miss Intercontinental event was inaugurated in Aruba in 1971, which was a brain-child of MIO-SA.