Kyrgyzstani Aizhamal Osmonova won the title of Miss Portrait at the Miss Tourism International beauty contest, which took place from December 11 to 31 in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).
As A. Osmonova informed the AKIpress agency, this is an annual beauty contest featuring representatives from many countries around the world.
“This year, 60 girls from 60 countries participated in the contest - from the CIS countries, Europe, Latin America, and others. The contest is organized primarily to build friendship among nations and promote tourism,” she said.
She noted that it was not easy for her, as they had a strict schedule during the three weeks of the contest.
“We woke up at 6 AM and had to get ready within an hour. Breakfast was at 7, followed by various shows in different locations. It was also difficult because not many people know about our country — Kyrgyzstan. They constantly misnamed our country, calling it Kurguzstan, Kurdistan, and even Kazakhstan. But in those moments, I immediately took the microphone and corrected them,” she said.
According to her, the rumors that many models and beauty contest participants lack intelligence were confirmed there.
“They didn’t know about Kyrgyzstan, or even about the Soviet Union. I had to tell them everything to ensure they formed a good opinion about Kyrgyzstan. I talked about our traditions, taught them to dance and sing. The final of the contest took place right on New Year's Eve — from December 31 to January 1. I celebrated New Year on stage for the first time in my life. It was there that I was awarded the title of Miss Portrait. The first place was won by a girl from Venezuela,” she shared.
As A. Osmonova reported, the main nominations are usually won by representatives from Latin America and neighboring countries — Thailand, India, China, and the Philippines.
She emphasized that she went to Malaysia primarily to learn more about the country and its culture, as she loves to travel, seeking a kind of mutual exchange.
“There was also one evening where ambassadors and consuls from all participating countries were invited. To my delight, the acting ambassador of Kyrgyzstan in Malaysia came with his wife. I was very happy and proud,” she concluded.
Source: culture.akipress.org
