Miss Jamaica World win a dream come true for Shanique Singh
Published:Tuesday | December 6, 2022 | 12:10 AMAaliyah Cunningham/Gleaner Writer
When Shanique Singh was announced as the winner of the 2022 staging of Miss Jamaica World, tears streamed down her face as the moment crowned all the hard work she had put in over the last few weeks. Speaking with The Gleaner moments after the announcement, 25-year-old Singh shared that holding the title of Miss Jamaica World is a dream realised.
“I feel so grateful; it’s like a dream come true. Ever since I was young, people have been telling me to enter Miss Jamaica World, but I didn’t want to just enter just for the sake of entering. I felt I needed to enter for a purpose. I am so grateful and happy. I am also so happy that I was able to make my family proud. My mom is here, my grandma and everybody. I am just thankful for this experience,” she shared.
She also won the Serengeti Talent Fast Track Event, with a traditional Indian dance and the Fort Clarence Beach Beauty Event. Lineisha Davis was the first runner-up, while Tahje Bennett was the second runner-up.
Singh, who hails from the parish of St Catherine, is a former student of the Ardenne High School and is currently a medical student at The University of the West Indies, aiming to become an obstetrician and gynaecologist, focusing on a holistic approach to women’s health. According to her, the main reason for entering the competition was to use the platform to kick start bringing awareness to issues that affect the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls. Her Beauty with a Purpose project focused on period poverty.
Having placed third in the 2022 Miss Universe Jamaica pageant, she shared that her biggest obstacle going into this competition was keeping sight of her goal. “The hardest part was keeping focused and keeping my eyes on the prize. It was a lot of work, and many times, I felt discouraged, like I was not doing enough and so I had to keep my eye on the prize and remember why I was entering. That was the hardest part for me, but I was able to overcome [it]. I put in so much work and hours. From the beach [and] beauty walk to the talent. I busted a few toes, but it was all worth it in the end because it really is a testament that hard work really does pay off, and it taught me not to get complacent any at all because this is the result that you get,” Singh told The Gleaner.
The location and date for 71st Miss World competition have not yet been announced, but as Singh prepares to represent Jamaica, she hopes to make her island proud.
“It has not sunken in as yet, but I expect to do extremely well. I have a great team behind me, and I will continue putting in all the work to make my country proud. Once you know what it is that you want, you put your eye on the prize, and you dedicate all of your time to it, and you will reap all the rewards,” she said.
Jamaica last won the title in 2019 when Toni-Ann Singh brought home the crown. Toni-Ann Singh was the longest reigning queen in history due to the 70th Miss World competition being postponed because of the outbreak of coronavirus.
For co-franchise owner Dahlia Harris, she is confident that Jamaica may once again emerge the victor. “It has been an interesting journey. I am so very proud of all of them. They fought all the way to the end, and I think because the competition was tough, we have earned a queen that is someone who will go to the world and represent us. She is not easily fazed. She works hard and is extremely disciplined, and we expect big things from Shanique Singh. You never know, maybe we will get another Miss World ‘Singh’ from Jamaica. Let’s see, we will try and pull it off,” Harris said.
The Miss Jamaica World coronation show was held at the Courtleigh Auditorium on Sunday evening.