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10 to vie for Navy Queen title

Photo: Vipinchandran

STRIKING A POSE: The 10 participants who were selected for the finals from 18 contestants in the preliminary round of the Navy Queen-2007 contest held at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi on Saturday. The finals will be held on December 8. —

Ten women have been selected for the finals of the Navy Queen-2007 contest to be held at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi on December 8.

It will mark the conclusion of Navy Week celebrations and will be held as part of the Navy Ball. The 10 finalists were chosen from 18 contestants in the preliminary round held on Saturday at the Naval Command.

The finalists are Serin George, Haseena P.M, Poojitha Ravindran, Sonya Thadikaran, Divya Menon, Priyanka Sharma, Gilda George, Tina Mani, Roshni Swaminathan and Taruna Bajpai.

The contestants put their best foot forward as they walked the ramp and faced questions in the last round to make it to the finals of the contest. The contestants, in ethnic attire, walked to the tune of music in the introduction round. The second round saw them in casual wear. In the final round, the contestants, in evening wear, faced questions posed by wives of Naval officers; Manoj Abraham, City Police Commissioner; Capt. B Anand, Commanding Officer of INS Dronacharya; and Mohammad Ali Cheriya of Emirates.

The contestants faced questions like what they liked most about themselves, other than physical appearance. “Honesty and trustworthiness, that account for inner beauty,” said one. What would be the comparison between a working woman and a housewife? “I have been on both sides of the table. Women put in a tremendous effort for the family, in both instances,” said another participant.

To the question what traditions one would not give up, a contestant said she would seek the blessings of the elders at all times. “Mother Teresa,” came the answer to which historical figure they would like to be reborn as. Faced with a not-so-receptive reaction from the audience, the contestant spoke about the different facets of the Mother’s life, which finally drew applause.

The 10 contestants will be groomed for the grand finale on December 8.

The winners of the Navy Queen contest will get a car or a seat on a flight to London, Cairo, Dubai or Colombo. At the Navy Ball, Avril Quodon production and DJ Vanshi from Bangalore will liven up the evening with some foot-tapping music. Major Ravi, film director, will be part of the jury, while the former beauty queen and actor Yukta Mookhey with Commander Abhinav Barve will be the anchors.

The proceeds of the event will be used to fund various welfare activities such as rehabilitating war widows and providing education to the children of naval ex-servicemen and naval personnel who died in harness.

John L. Paul

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