By Deneita Fredericks
The Guyana Marriott Hotel was ablaze with excitement and glamour last night as it hosted the eagerly awaited Miss Universe Guyana Pageant 2023 and Lisa Narine captured the title in a sequined purple gown.
The pageant saw eight contestants representing the different region in Guyana through a celebration of beauty, grace, and empowerment.
The delegates were, Colline Ward representing Bartica, Mackella Profeiro representing Demerara-Mahaica, Chandini Baljor, representing Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Lieve Blanckaert, representing Georgetown, Melissa Mc Lean, representing La Parfaite Harmonie, Anika Felicien, representing Onderneeming, Britny Mack, representing the Pakaraimas and Lisa Narine, representing Pomeroon-Supenaam.
The evening kicked off with an electrifying opening number, followed by a showcase of the contestants’ individual talents, which ranged from mesmerizing evening wear performances to the breathtaking evening segment. The audience was truly captivated by the diverse array of skills displayed by these talented young women.
After a series of nail-biting eliminations, the field was narrowed down to the final five contestants, who advanced to the semi-finals. These finalists were Chandini Baljor, Melissa Mc Lean, Colline Ward, Lieve Blanckaert, and Lisa Narine.
These beautiful young women were then challenged with answering questions based on Guyanese culture and history. They were tasked with picking their own questions from a jar that was held by the host.
The moment of truth arrived as the three finalists, Chandini Baljor, Lisa Narine, and Lieve Blanckaert, stood on the stage. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as the finalists awaited the final question that would determine who would be crowned.
The final question posed to the contestants was a thought-provoking one: “If you had won the Miss Universe Guyana title, how would you use your crown to empower the pageant?” Each contestant took her turn to answer, and their responses were directed towards making a positive impact on society.
After much deliberation, the judges made their decision. Lisa Narine emerged as the winner of the Miss Universe Guyana Pageant 2023, capturing the coveted crown. Her eloquent response and dedication to women’s empowerment resonated with the judges and the audience alike.
The first runner up position was copped by Lieve Blanckaert, while Chandini Baljor got the second runner up nod. The newly crowned Miss Universe Guyana, Lisa Narine will represent Guyana in El Salvador on the international stage in November and continue her mission to empower women and promote Guyanese culture.
There were also other special prizes given such as Ms. Congeniality which was won by Chandini Baljor, highest points for the interview which was copped by Lisa Narine, Best Swim wear segment, won by Lisa Narine and high points for evening wear which was also won by Lisa Narine.
In an interview with the Sunday Stabroek, Lisa shared insights on her journey to the crown, She acknowledged the support of her family and friends as she stated that she couldn’t have gotten this far without them.
She described her journey to be one which saw a lot of sleepless nights with extensive hard work and dedication.
“It was not easy, it called for a lot of hard work and sleepless nights, and however it was all worth it in the end”, she said.
When asked about her intent on taking Guyana to the international stage, she shared her vision on showcasing the beauty of Guyana and the heart of the people including all that the country has to offer to the world.
