No Miss Ja World to be held this year

There will be no Miss Jamaica World pageant this year. Shanique Singh, who was crowned the winner of the 2022 staging of Miss World, on December 4, 2022 at the Courtleigh Auditorium, will represent Jamaica at the 2023 Miss World pageant.

“Shanique Singh has not yet been able to represent Jamaica. She will do so in December in India. So, our decision was not to select another queen who will not be able to participate in an international competition until next year. So Shanique still reigns as the representative to the Miss World pageant,” said co-franchise owner Dahlia Harris

The 71st edition of the Miss World pageant will be held at Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar, India, on December 8, 2023.

Harris said, this year, they will commemorate 60 years since Jamaica and the Caribbean first won the Miss World title with Carol Joan Crawford in 1963. “There are a number of activities that we are hoping to execute in celebration of this milestone. Next year, we will go back to selecting,” she said.

Crawford, Miss World 1963, was the first Jamaican to win the Miss World crown, followed by Cindy Breakspeare in 1976. Lisa Hanna, became the third Jamaican to win the coveted title, in 1993. 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 postponement the 70th Miss World competition during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Harris said they will be undertaking, as part of the commemorative activities and special copies of the stamps that were made in honour of Crawford’s win. “We are going to be presenting them to the four Miss Worlds from Jamaica, along with other selected persons. November is very significant for us, as the first three winners won in this month. Toni-Ann is the only one of the four who won the pageant in December,” she said.

Shanique Singh, Harris said, is in full preparation mode to represent Jamaica at the Miss World pageant. “She has been focusing on her Beauty with a Purpose project, [which is] focused on period poverty. Right now, we are stepping [up] preparations in terms of her training, voice and speech, interview techniques, walk and poise [and] her talent. So, we are gearing up now to build momentum going into India,” Harris said.

Shanique Singh, who hails from the parish of St Catherine, is a former student of the Ardenne High School and is 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.

Prior to being crowned Miss Jamaica World, Shanique Singh turned in an impressive performance, winning two fast-track events. She won the Serengeti Talent Fast Track Event with her performance of a traditional Indian dance. She also won the Fort Clarence Beach Beauty Event.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com