Miss Guyana Universe contestants revealed

May 31, 2009 News

The Miss Guyana Universe organization, yesterday revealed 12 of 13 contestants who will take part in this year’s pageant to select a representative from Guyana to compete in the international pageant.
Miss Universe 2009, which will air live from the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in The Bahamas on August 23, is a joint venture between the Trump Organisation and NBC Universal.

12 of the 13 contestants selected for the 2009 Miss Guyana Universe pageant. The winner will represent Guyana at the Miss Universe pageant, billed for August 23 in the Bahamas.

The Guyana franchise holder is Odinga Lumumba, now a presidential adviser. Last year, he did not hold a pageant since he was involved in an accident.
This year’s pageant is slated for July 23 at the National Cultural Centre. Artistic Director is Derek Moore, the former franchise holder of the Miss Guyana World pageant. Moore ,said that he is confident about the group of contestants, since they come from different parts of the country and are all serious about their educational, personal and professional pursuits.
For the actual pageant night, Moore said that he is planning to create a dance spectacle and hopes to mirror productions of the Miss Universe pageant. The swimsuit segment of the competition is billed for Castellani House poolside, prior to pageant night.
The Bahamas is in high gear in preparation for the Miss Universe pageant. President Bharrat Jagdeo, had recently noted that the hosting of the pageant was one of the reasons why the island has reportedly backed down again from hosting the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta). Guyana hosted Carifesta X last year, after The Bahamas backtracked on its promise. The island was scheduled to host the Festival next year, but latest news reports from the island, indicate its government has dissed the event yet again.
President Jagdeo had noted the argument, that The Bahamas’ hosting of Miss Universe would bring a flow of international tourists to the island, as opposed to the regional traffic Carifesta draws. While no official statement has been released by the Bahamian government, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham is said to have already made his position known to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders.
This comes amid unresolved concerns over whether the grand arts festival, which draws large contingents of visual, musical, literary and dance artists from across the region, will take place in 2010 at all, in view of the challenging economic conditions confronted by all Caribbean nations, the Bahamas Tribune had reported.
“The people of The Bahamas are very proud and excited at the opportunity to host some of the most beautiful people in the universe in one of the most beautiful islands in the universe,” said the Bahamas’ Minister of Tourism and Aviation, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, when the 2009 Miss Universe pageant was announced for the island. Whoever is selected as Miss Guyana Universe will compete against 80 other delegates from around the world.

The contestants will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview.
In recent years, worldwide distribution of the popular competition has topped more than 170 countries.