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First-ever Miss Sri Lanka New York pageant held on Staten Island
Culture, beauty, sparkle had audience mesmerized
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — More than 300 attendees came out to support 14 contestants who dazzled at the first-ever Miss Sri Lanka New York beauty pageant, held Friday night at The Vanderbilt at South Beach.Beyond serving as a celebration of culture, the event had a twofold mission; first, to support Sri Lanka in these trying times.
“At the beginning we thought of a way to help Sri Lanka. We are in a difficult condition,” Miss Sri Lanka New York 2022 Committee member Chandra Muniweera said.
The organizers said funds raised at the event will go to the national cancer hospital of Sri Lanka, which is currently struggling with equipment and medicine.Secondly, the pageant aims to help “young women realize their full potential and become role models for future generations, in line with core Sri Lankan values,” a statement from the pageant’s booklet reads.The committee decided to hold the event on Staten Island, where there is a large, vibrant Sri Lankan community.
Thousands of Staten Islanders originally hail from, or have roots in, the South Asian island nation of 22 million, and census data shows the borough is home to at least 30% of all Sri Lankans in the city.The country has been reeling from an economic collapse this year.
“We have the biggest Sri Lankan community here so we thought we should do something…Sri Lanka is not in a very good situation at the moment. So we were thinking, what should we do?” Miss Sri Lanka New York 2022 Committee member Sujani Fernando said. “We thought, we have to do something for the community and the girls here. To bring their talent, to bring some exposure for them. Meanwhile collect something and send it back to Sri Lanka.”
Sponsors and guests were treated to a delightful display of elegance and class. However, unlike typical pageants, the event had a traditional Sri Lankan flair. As white lights danced across the ballroom, dancers from the Sri Lankan Dance Academy of New York and Kalanikethana New Jersey mesmerized the audience between competition segments.
There were multiple “mini pageants,” including the most photogenic contest, the best national costume segment, the talent competition, the personality pageant, and the congeniality contest. Most had been completed prior to the event, with the exception of national costume.During a candlelit dinner, guests saw the national costume segment in which the contestants donned elaborate outfits that resembled various national symbols of Sri Lanka. Then, the hopefuls switched into Havana dresses, painting the stage with a collage of colors. Finally, the competition wrapped up with a classic evening gown segment.
Of the 14 women that entered the pageant, a vast majority reside on Staten Island: Sawandi Desilva, Staten Island, Mithma Dissanayake, Staten Island, Anuki Fernando, Staten Island, Chamika Goonewardene, Staten Island, Angelia Gunasekara, Queens, Nithuli Hewagama, Queens, Dilmi Kapuge, Staten Island, Daphne Karawita, Staten Island, Tharushi Kapuge, Staten Island, Dakshi Silva, Long Island, Amanda Vipul, Staten Island, Amaya Wanigarathne, Staten Island, Chaamy Yapa, Staten Island and Shalkey Fernando, Staten Island.
The judges included previous Miss Sri Lanka winners such as Sri Lankan film actress Sachini Ayendra and Uschi Perera. Alongside them was 2012 Miss Asia USA, Christine Kahn, Media Attorney Maryse Selit, and IT Manager at Estée Lauder, Imad Hyder.
After the judges deliberated, the winners were revealed: Angelia Gunasekara of Queens was crowned the first ever Miss Sri Lanka New York. The first runner up was Amanda Vipul of Staten Island. The second runner up was Amaya Wanigarathne, also of Staten Island.
The contestant pool was so strong that the judges chose a total of six finalists — more than the originally planned five. The women had received instruction from Los Angeles-based pageant coach Morina Dass in the months leading up to the pageant.
The mini-pageant winners included: Miss Photogenic: Amanda Vipul, Miss Best National Costume: Amaya Wanigarathne, Miss Talent: Tharushi Kapuge, Miss Personality: Anuki Fernando and Miss Congeniality: Dilni Kapuge.After her win, the beaming Gunasekara was crowned with a handcrafted tiara from Ashadi Jewellers. Committee members presented all contestants with gifts. The top three received unique rewards, bouquets and cash prizes. The grand prize was $1,000.
“Honestly, it’s a shocker to me. I don’t know what to say, I’m speechless,” Gunasekara said. “I’m so grateful and thankful for everyone that supported me, that pushed me to do this that helped me within this journey after so many months.”
(silive.com)
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
