Tenzin Norzom crowned Miss Tibet
By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, June 6: 23-year old Tenzin Norzom from Varanasi was crowned Kingfisher Miss Tibet 2010 at the beauty pageant's grand finale night here this evening.
"I am extremely happy winning the Miss Tibet 2010 crown," Norzom told Phayul.com after winning the title.
"Even if I didn't win the Miss Tibet crown tonight, I came prepared in my mind that one of us will win in the end and I would still be happy thinking that after all it is another young Tibetan woman who is the winner," she said.
She said one of her first mission would be to urge young confident Tibetan women to participate in the Miss Tibet beauty pageant.
And then the most important thing, she said, will be to use the beauty title to promote awareness on Tibet.
"Right now my top priority will be to complete my further studies," she said.
Born in Hunsur Tibetan settlement in South India, in 1986, this soft-spoken beauty queen has just completed Shastri degree (equivalent to Bachelor of Arts degree) from the Central University of Tibetan Studies in Varanasi. She is fluent in English, Tibetan and Hindi, and likes reading, music and dancing, and playing badminton.
Last year's Miss Tibet Tenzin Choezom crowned Norzom as the new Tibetan beauty queen and presented a scholarship cheque of 100,000 rupees.
A panel of two judges elected the new winner. Norzom edged out three other contenders after going through seven rounds of competitions to claim this year’s Tibetan beauty title, the ninth in a series started since 2002.
Yangchen Metok, 19, from Dharamsala, was declared the first runner-up and won a scholarship cheque of 50,000 rupees. She was born in Golok in Amdo province of Tibet in 1991 and came to India in 2008.
The four contestants pose during the 'Traditional Costume' round on the grand finale night of the Miss Tibet beauty pageant at Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) in Dharamsala, India (Photo: Tenzin Choejor/exilelens.com)
The four contestants pose during the 'Traditional Costume' round on the grand finale night of the Miss Tibet beauty pageant at Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) in Dharamsala, India (Photo: Tenzin Choejor/exilelens.com)
Rinchen Choden, 25, a hair stylist with a Bachelor in Commerce degree from Bangalore was the second runner-up and won a scholarship cheque of 25,000 rupees.
The organisers also presented the third runner-up, 22-year old Tenzin Namchoe, a scholarship cheque of 10,000 rupees. Presently she is a second-year student at St Joseph College Bangalore, pursuing a Bachelors of Social Work.
The beauty pageant's finale night this year has been a low profile one without the usual firecrackers. This, the beauty pageant's director Mr Lobsang Wangyal said, was in solidarity with the victims and survivors of the recent earthquake in Tibet's Kyegudo region. Before the final rounds of the beauty pageant kicked off, a huge crowd of thousands of people, who gathered for the show, participated in a short prayer session for the earthquake victims.
Mr Wangyal later announced a donation cheque of 10,000 rupees towards the earthquake relief measures.
Also the annual Free Spirit Award for 2010, which is presented by Lobsang Wangyal Productions for those who have contributed for the Tibetan cause and world peace, was given to Dr Mahesh Yadav. Dr Yadav has been a staunch Tibet supporter for years. He has drawn blood portraits of world leaders, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, to bring awareness about world peace and freedom in Tibet.
source: http://www.phayul.com/
This Sunday, June 6, 2010 photo, Miss Tibet beauty pageant contestant Tenzin Norzom, 24, walks the ramp during the grand finale in Dharmsala, India. Norzom, who was born in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, won an event contested by four Tibetan participants. The contestants are Tibetan exiles.
On this Sunday, June 6, 2010 photo, four contestants of the Miss Tibet beauty pageant 2010, from right, Rinchen Choden, Tenzin Namchoe, Tenzin Norzom and Yangchen Metok, pose in traditional Tibetan gowns during the grand finale in Dharmsala, India. Twenty-four-year-old , who was born in the Indian state of Karnataka, won the crown. The contestants are Tibetan exiles.
(AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
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