Up to press time last night it was unclear whether Trinidad and Tobago’s representative at Miss World in China had caught her plane to London, to catch her connecting flight back to T&T on Tuesday.
One day after competing in the pageant, relatives of Kimberly Farrah Singh said she was stranded in China, with no cash to bring home her luggage.
Singh, who faced a number of legal and personal challenges in order to participate in the competition, reportedly spent hours yesterday trying to contact national director for Miss World, president of Oneness Entertainment, Vanessa Sahatoo-Manoo.
Worried about how she would be getting back to Trinidad, Singh’s sister Renatta told the Guardian that she first contacted the Miss World international organisers, who made several attempts to contact Sahatoo-Manoo, as her company was responsible for the financial arrangements of Singh’s return.
They also failed in their efforts to contact her. Sahatoo-Manoo did not respond to phone calls, text messages or e-mails from the Guardian yesterday.
Singh’s sister made a plea on social media site Facebook, for any information on locating or contacting Sahatoo-Manoo so that her sister could return home safely. As of yesterday evening, she said, she had no contact.
While Singh’s flight is paid for, she is scheduled to travel back with luggage filled with items contributed by sponsors. The fee for the luggage on the flight to Sanya, China cost approximately US$700, which she did not have.
This is the first time Singh has ever left the country and her relatives say they are worried about her. Singh travelled by plane from Sanya, to the city of Guangzhou on the Chinese mainland yesterday.
Family members said they tried to make the payment via credit card so that Singh can return with the luggage but have been told by the airline, that they could not process the charges. Money transfer services are not available on a Sunday.
At the airport in Guangzhou, Singh met up with a Miss World staff member who offered to wait at a nearby hotel with her until her flight at 9.30 last night. In a telephone interview yesterday, Singh’s sister Renatta said the family was still making attempts to contact Sahatoo-Manoo.
“We have to figure out the payment. They are saying they won’t accept our credit cards and so we are looking at alternative ways to pay,” Renatta said.
“The organisation was supposed to make arrangements for her to get the items back to Trinidad. Even before she left for China we e-mailed them and let them know.
“The luggage she has with her contains her gown, shoes, costumes and a lot of other sponsored items which need to be returned.”
Renatta described the situation as a frustrating one for her sister.
“After the pageant there was a gala ball. She woke up the following morning, tried to call Vanessa, no response. She went down to Miss World International Office and they tried to contact her but no response. We are trying but it seems like we are meeting a wall every step of the way.”
Singh’s flight from London should reach Trinidad at 5 pm on Tuesday.
ill-fated odyssey
In October, runner up Daniella Walcott was announced as Singh’s replacement to represent T&T at the Miss World pageant in China.
Kevin Ratiram, attorney for Oneness Entertainment Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, producers of the Miss World T&T beauty pageant and president of Oneness Entertainment, Vanessa Sahatoo-Manoo, issued a statement saying that Singh’s reign had been terminated.
The termination was due to an alleged breach of her contract with promoter, Oneness Entertainment Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, which is the national franchise holder for Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Beauty Pageant.
Singh filed legal action against the local franchise holder, contending that arbitration is the way to resolve issues in the beauty business. The arbitrator in the matter ruled that she be reinstated to the position of Miss World T&T.
Arbitrator Ernest Koylass SC, ruled that whilst Singh did in fact breach specific terms of the beauty pageant agreement, such breaches were not fundamental enough to warrant her termination as Miss World T&T. She arrived in China in the first week of December and participated in the competition on Saturday.
Pageant head responds
Yesterday evening, a post was published to the Miss World T&T Facebook page saying Sahatoo-Manoo, was en route and did not have access to communication. The post said she was made aware of the unfortunate issue that Singh is facing with her luggage in Sanya, China, and was saddened.
The post claimed that Singh was given the necessary funds to cover her approved luggage to Sanya and back to Port-of-Spain before her departure flight from Port-of-Spain.
“She was also given a stipend and health insurance was purchased for her as well. Mrs Sahatoo-Manoo did not leave any luggage with Kimberly. The designer pieces that Mrs Sahatoo-Manoo took with her is in Mrs Sahatoo-Manoo’s possession.”
The post said Sahatoo-Manoo would address this issue once she arrives in the country.