KATHMANDU, NOV 14: If it were just another year, the Miss Nepal to represent the country at the Miss Universe pageant would be gearing up for the big competition by this time of the year. If “it were just another year”, but well, it’s not. But as we all are getting used to this pandemic and learning to live with this virus, things are gradually starting to fall into places; and so is this pageant.
The Miss Universe Organization held the final of Miss USA 2020 earlier this week and they will now be looking forward to the Miss Universe pageant. While dozens of representatives have been already selected, Nepal is yet to choose their delegate this year and the hunt is started already.
This will be Nepal’s fourth year in the competition after Nagma Shrestha made the debut in 2017 but it will be the first time without the Miss Nepal organizers, The Hidden Treasure’s involvement as the franchise is now with Brave Bold Beautiful Ltd, a new organization headed by Nagma Shrestha herself.
The contest is on already via a smartphone application and the Top 50 participants were revealed on Friday. And well, it looks like a promising batch already with some big names in pageantry and fashion, alongside the new names that are ready to go big.
So, who all are part of the competition this year? Let’s find out.
Joining the competition this year are two of the former Miss Nepal title holders — Roshni Khatri and Priya Sigdel, who won the titles of Miss Earth Nepal and represented Nepal at the Miss Earth pageant in 2016 and 2018, respectively.
That’s not it, there are quite a number of other girls with good pageant experience — and one among them is Pratishtha Raut who had bagged the second runner-up position in the Miss England 2019 competition last year.
Nina Kant Mandal, the winner of Miss Asia Russia 2018, is also one of the big names in the contest this year. She is a successful model based in Russia.
Sujita Basnet, the most experienced beauty queen to compete this year, was the first ever Miss Nepal USA in 2011 who went on to win the title of Miss Maryland World 2016, representing Maryland in Miss World America that year. Her most recent stint was in the Miss Maryland USA 2020 competition where she was announced the second runner-up.
Another beauty pageant winner part of the contest is Angel Lama, the winner of Miss Pink 2018, who represented Nepal at Miss International Queen 2019, one of the major pageants for trans women. Thanks to Miss Universe Nepal’s criteria that allows trans women to compete, she is the first trans participant in Nepal in any of the ‘Big 5’ beauty pageants. You might even know her from ‘A Mero Hajur 3’ where she played the character of Juneli.
Then there are Miss Nepal USA 2019, Surabhi Khanal and Miss Tourism World Nepal 2019, Rozina Shrestha.
Vying for the prestigious title this year are some big names from the fashion scene including Paramita RL Rana and Aruni Waiba.
Promise Tamang’s YouTuber sister Rose is also competing this year.
The competition is sure to be tough this year with a lot of other promising participants who will give their absolute best to win the only crown they are in for.
In no particular order, here’s the complete list of the Top 50.
- Nisha Neupane
- Parichhya Bista
- Zenisha Rajbhandari
- Razani Mishra
- Rozina Shrestha
- Shristi Acharya
- Surabhi Khanal
- Aruni Waiba
- Ninak Mandal
- Shreeya Neupane
- Sudati Shrestha
- Rose Tamang
- Shriya Shakya
- Sujita Basnet
- Aishwarya Khatiwada
- Dristy Adhikari
- Diksha Pokharel
- Deekshaa Thapa
- Shikha Bhattarai
- Priya Hada
- Anshika Sharma
- Binisha SHakya
- Priya Sigdel
- Phoebe Bhattarai
- Nitisha Rajbhandari
- Neelima Shrestha
- Jyoti Bhatta
- Tilu Kulung Rai
- Prarthana Basnyat
- Divya Pant
- Roshni Khatri
- Rizbi Poudyal
- Sudeshna Maharjan
- Manzari Singh
- Jyotsna Simkhada
- Biviya Shrestha
- Suyogya Pun
- Dikta Thapa
- Pratishtha Raut
- Anlela Lama
- Aastha K. Pandey
- Pratima Sen
- Sneha Sigdel
- Bijina
- Anu Poudyal
- Riya Shrestha
- Angel Lama
- Arika Ranabhat
- Paramita Rana
- Nancy Khadka
The Top 50 participants will now compete for a place in the Top 14 and eventually, we will have a winner by next month. The winner gets to represent Nepal at the Miss Universe pageant, of course; and she also goes home with a whopping Rs. 1 million prize money. If I am not wrong, that’s the biggest prize money in any of the pageants in Nepal.
All the best, girls!
