This country’s Miss World 2015 representative, Kimberly Farrah Singh, returns home today after getting last-minute funds to pay for her extra luggage in China.
Singh was stranded in Guangzhou on Sunday night because she did not have US$700 to clear three additional suitcases packed with Miss World T&T items that were contributed by local designers. On Sunday night, her family tried to make a payment via credit card but was initially told that the charges could not be processed. Her sister, Renata, said yesterday they were able to get the funds to her late Sunday. She left Guangzhou around 9.30 am and arrived at the Heathrow Airport around 2.30 pm (London time) where she met with relatives. She is expected to touch down at the Piarco International Airport at 5 pm today and supporters on Facebook have planned for her return. Although she did not make it to the top 25 in last Saturday’s pageant in Sanya, many supporters believe she represented the country admirably. She was even rated as Missosology’s #10 pick for the competition.
Renata said the family made arrangements to get the funds for her to clear her luggage.
“She is meeting with family and now she is exhausted, and cannot wait to get back home. She is in transit now so I don’t know how much talking she can do. She is just tired and probably jet lagged,” Renata said.
Singh’s relationship with Miss Oneness Entertainment, the holder of the Miss World T&T franchise, continued to deteriorate when the organisation responded to Renata’s Facebook post on Sunday.
Renata had made a plea for information to locate or contact president of Miss Oneness Entertainment, Vanessa Sahatoo-Manoo, after Singh was left stranded.
Later on the Miss World T&T’s page, the organisation said, “It has come to our attention that a certain post made on Facebook by Renata Singh was very malicious and totally inaccurate. The content of such was that our delegate Kimberly Singh was left ‘stranded with no money’ to pay for her extra luggage.
“The National Director first became aware of this post while in transit on her way home. The Miss World T&T organisation wishes to remind the family of Miss Singh that she was given sufficient money to cover her approved extra luggage prior to her departure to Sanya, China. To the members of the public we wish to inform you that regardless of this erroneous statement, Miss Singh is already on route to London via China Southern Airlines. “It is to be noted that when in transit with the same airline as that of Miss Singh, her luggage would have been checked right through until her final destination with said airline.
“Regardless of this, our organisation went ahead and paid again to have Miss Singh’s luggage (approved and otherwise) on British Airways.”
However, one of Singh’s relatives, Kievan Baboolal, posted that although Caribbean Airlines waived her luggage fee on her trip between Port-of-Spain and London, she had three excess pieces of luggage to check in. This meant she had to pay the fee for her trip between London and Sanya. While she was given a stipend by Miss World T&T organisers for excess baggage, meals, travelling and incidentals, it was not enough to cover the US$725 luggage fees to Sanya. He said she had to borrow cash from relatives in London to cover this cost.
He said Singh informed Miss World T&T organisers of this and requested more funding but got no response.
Singh’s journey to China has been a rough ride as she was dethroned in October by Miss Oneness Entertainment for alleged breaches of her contract and failing to raise enough money to take her to the competition.
She was replaced by 2015 runner-up Daniella Walcott but Singh fought back when she filed legal action in the San Fernando High Court contending that her contract stated that matters would be settled through arbitration.