Estonia’s Eliise Randmaa became the first contestant from her country since 1999 to make it to the next round of Miss World as she bagged gold at the Sports Challenge held at Hyderabad’s Gachibowli Stadium.
Hyderabad:Estonia’s Eliise Randmaa became the first contestant from her country since 1999 to make it to the next round of Miss World as she bagged gold at the Sports Challenge held at Hyderabad’s Gachibowli Stadium. She now stands among Europe’s top ten quarter-finalists. Miss Martinique Aurelie Joachim took home silver while Miss Canada Emma Morrison took the bronze. The Bleep Test revealed the names of 32 contestants who now advance to the Top 40.
Morrison, Canada’s first Indigenous candidate, who won the badminton finals was the second runner up but won hearts easily at the stadium as people were seen rooting for her. “I played badminton in high school, so I was able to refresh myself within the first couple of games,” she said, thanking the crowd that cheered her on throughout the match.
The day had a different kind of energy than those from the earlier days. Contestants ditched heels for sneakers and some found themselves playing chess with junior world champions. Others sprinted, danced to Zumba sessions, or battled in badminton. “The roller skating was the best, it made my heart flutter,” said Miss South Africa, Zoalize Jansen Van Rensburg.
The event was the liveliest so far as sporting traditions held their own beside international talent. Teams came down from all across the nation, from Manipuri martial artists performing Thang-Ta to a yoga showcase led by Telangana’s Yoga Associations’ youngest practitioners, Maharashtra’s Mallakhamb performers, the range of performances gave the audience much to cheer for.
The artistic roller skating by Arjuna Awardee Anup Kumar Yama’s team lit up the floor with Western choreography and Indian themes. “This was important because for a change they weren’t competing today, this was just for their joy,” said Yama, who guided the 22 skaters. Choreographer Vikram Dubam, the only official skating choreographer in India, called the event a rare opportunity to add artistic storytelling to a sport typically judged on technical precision.
“I’ve won medals before, but this time it was about courage. I was nervous at first, but once I started, it all disappeared,” said Rishabh Gopade, who performed pole Mallakhamb. His teammate, rope Mallakhamb performer Sanavi Desai, who has been training since first standard, added, “It’s like yoga on the rope. Full body strength. I was scared, but this was such a great opportunity for me.”
Jaya from the Manipuri martial arts team, led by Guru Sapam explained how the form traces back to times when queens defended kingdoms. “They fought enemies when kings were away. They even conquered China and Burma,” he said. “Today was exciting. We’ve performed in Saudi Arabia and Belgium, but this felt different. The crowd was alive.”
Telangana’s Yoga Association had their moment too. Their members ranged from eight to twenty-four, led by Harshita, a national and international competitor. “We barely had a week to rehearse because the dates weren’t fixed. But the kids were asking every day, ‘Didi, when do we report?’ They were more excited than us,” she said with a laugh.
