| Ms
Universe ‘06 faints briefly after
being crowned |
July
24, 2006 |
|
|
In
an extravagant event held in the LA, 18
year old Miss. Puerto Rica Zuleyka Rivera
Mendoza was crowned as Miss Universe 2006.
For an eager eyed Indian, the show proved
to be a disappointment when Indian beauty
Neha Kapur failed to make it to the final
20s. Neha is five foot nine and is a fashion
graduate who is a professional ramp model.
|
|
|
Neha Kapur was born and brought up
in New Delhi. Neha is a keen painter
and her special interest lies in painting
subjects to do with women and Hindu
mythology. She also enjoys traveling
to new places because it gives her
the opportunity to meet new people
and understand new and diverse culture.
Last year Indian beauty Amrita Thapar
participated in the contest and while
raising expectations, she too failed
to meet up with them and fetch the
crown. |
|
|
Kurara
Chibana of Japan became the first runner-up.
Chibana, who carried the impressive looking
Samurai sword, also won the award for the
best national costume. |
|
|
Mendoza was crowned by Natalie Glebova
of Canada, the Miss Universe of 2005
at the end of the two-hour telecast
with a diamond-and-pearl-studded headpiece
valued at $250,000. Mendoza gets to
travel the world for a year on behalf
of charities and pageant sponsors.
“I always had faith and confidence
in myself, but I never knew I was
going to win,” were the first
remarks made by Mendoza in Spanish,
immediately after she was crowned
Miss Universe. |
|
|
|
As
a cliché, she added by saying that
she would continue the pageant's mission
of promoting awareness and education about
AIDS and HIV. Hope she won’t foray
into movies in her country.
Mendoza fainted briefly after a post-pageant
news conference but quickly recovered. Mendoza,
who was wearing a dress made entirely of
metal chains, had been standing under hot
stage lights for sometime when she began
to topple over. Someone grabbed her as she
fell. |
