Crown Miss Intercontinental Sri Lanka: Notch above the rest!

Introduces 18 contestants, unveils customised handcrafted Rs. 12m worth crown 

Winner to receive a residence for her year of reign

The 18 contestants vying for one of the most prestigious national pageant titles in the country, Crown Miss Intercontinental Sri Lanka were introduced at a media conference held recently.  

Each contestant, shortlisted from among 110 applicants, displayed the extraordinary combination of beauty and intellect, which is the primary criteria of selection, highlighting the adage of ‘Going Beyond Beauty’.  

Global Franchise Holder for Miss Intercontinental and National Director for the Sri Lankan pageant Joyce James-Gunawardene said: “We are looking for a lady that has poise, grace and intelligence. There is no doubt that the lady representing Sri Lanka at Miss Intercontinental will have to be notch above the rest.”

Stressing on the point that each of these young women epitomises what Miss Intercontinental is all about, she added it would be a tough decision for them to select the winner on 24 September at Hilton Colombo. The grand pageant will see 80 contestants participating for the Miss Intercontinental in Mumbai, India November.

“We cannot simply send beauty, we are sending brains too. They have a fresh loveliness that is very much a part of the uniqueness of a Sri Lankan beauty, have amazing personalities and confidence, are smart and have above par intelligence which sees them pursuing higher education and challenging careers. They confidently speak out about issues and are empathetic to women’s causes. This is the woman we want to represent Sri Lanka and be an ambassador for us at Miss Intercontinental in November,” she said.

It was pointed that Crown Miss Intercontinental Sri Lanka is one pageant where the contestants will have zero expenses on her side.

“As we have benchmarked Crown Miss Intercontinental Sri Lanka at very high levels, the winner for the first time will receive a residence for a year of reign and a winner’s prize of Rs. 500,000,” James-Gunawardene explained.

And it is for this power woman that Tiesh, the Crown and Jewellery Partner, handcrafted a Rs 1.2 million crown which was unveiled at the media conference, The Spirit of Elegance – Blue Water by Tiesh.  

Enthusiastic at the prospect of the winning queen wearing this masterpiece in Blue Topaz and Ceylon Stones depicting the infinite beauty of the Indian Ocean blending the fluidity and grace of a woman at the Sri Lankan pageant, Tiesh Director Ayesh De Fonseka stated that the crown is all about the power of a woman. “Here’s a woman who will be an ambassador for the cause of women, a voice for the disadvantaged and downtrodden and this crown reflects that power within its central design.”

Slated to be a spectacular event produced by Exceptional Entertainment, crown Miss Intercontinental Sri Lanka 2017 will be the show of shows, with all the glitz and glamour of an international event.  

With Title Sponsor JAT Holdings using its product ‘Crown’ to epitomise the quintessence of a queen, Managing Director Aelian Gunawardene opined that this pageant is truly going to be different.  

“Just as JAT is a trendsetter due to our continually innovative stance in presenting lifestyle solutions, this pageant has already begun trendsetting, transforming the way beauty pageants are being perceived.  Each of these contestants you saw today has already begun a holistic training process that’s not just about walking the ramp. While grooming and styling is important, this pageant is also giving them life skills including business mentoring, media training and even fitness in a bid to leading healthy lifestyles.  The idea is that each of them will take away a rich and positive experience which can augment their future and their careers as a result of having been a part of this pageant,” he added.

With the pageant’s cause, the Heavena Residential Shelter for Abused, Trafficked and Homeless Women showcased by Director-Development of Heavena Nirmala De Silva, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry who is the Official Mentor for the pageant was represented by Committee Member Anusha Hettiarachchi Hettigoda. The WCIC has already held its first mentoring session and is scheduling two more during the course of training.  

Fitness Partner Kinetic Fitness’ Thanuja Perera also explained the objective of having continuous fitness training for the contestants, while a brief was also given on the shortlisted designers who will be designing the national costume for the show, with the winning design to be worn at the international pageant by the title holder.   

Associate Sponsor for the pageant is Ceylinco General Insurance, Hotel Partner Hilton Colombo, Prishan Pandithage the Official Photographer E&Y, the Audit and Computer Analysis Services Partner, Daily Mirror Life, Daily FT, Life Online and Sunday Times are the official Print Media Partners, LIVING magazine is Glossy Partner and TV 1, Yes FM 101 and Legends 966 are Electronic Media Partners.

Pix by Lasantha Kumara