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One of the oldest expatriate clubs on the island is preparing to stage its popular beauty contest, The Indian Club May Queen Ball 2014, which is going global this year.
The flagship event, which has been running for more than three decades, will be held on May 30. A call was made for local sponsors to step forward during a meeting at the venue on Saturday.
There are three local participants hoping to impress the judges in competition against 16 top models flying in from India to participate, although beauty is just one of the criteria taken into account as brains and personality will also play a big part.
Indian Club president Anand Lobo said: “This is an exciting event and creates a huge amount of interest.
“We had a good response from India, especially after the success of last year when models from India took away all the top three spots.”
The title sponsor is the KBP Group from Chennai and a glitzy launch event will be held this coming Saturday in the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel coast off the Bay of Bengal, it is the biggest industrial and commercial centre in South India, and a major cultural, economic and educational centre.
The group is also sponsoring all the 16 models travelling from India.
The winner of The Indian Club May Queen will receive 200,000 rupees along with a multitude of gifts. The second and third place contestants will walk away with 100,000 and 50,000 rupees respectively.
All participants will receive $100 from the KBP Group too, Mr Lobo added.
The show will also feature a new dance academy set up in the kingdom, Bollywood Steps, and the show’s opening dance will be a fusion set up by dance teachers Asthika Shetty and Hansul Gani.
The club’s president also vowed that the seating problems that marred last year’s event would be addressed. The event is mainly for club members although non-members can attend by buying a BD20 special invitation ticket.
Meanwhile, the club’s massive surrounding wall is being rebuilt thanks to sponsorship by Al Namal Group. The executive committee hopes construction will be completed before May 23. Top Indian musician Stephen Devassy has been invited to perform at its unveiling.
For more details, call Mr Lobo on 39401279, general secretary Cassius Pereira on 39660475 or entertainment secretary CM Junith on 66359777.
