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It was an evening of thrills and spills at the Indian Club’s annual beauty pageant as women from across the kingdom competed for the coveted crown and title of May Queen, writes Mai Al Khatib-Camille.
The competition, which was meant to start around 8pm, ended up starting with a choreographed introduction and video of 19 lovely ladies more than an hour later.
But the delay didn’t hamper the enthusiasm generated by an audience of more than 1,500 cheering on the contestants as they battled for the special sparkly tiara and sash, alongside a plethora of prizes including cash and airline tickets.
The participants, aged 18 to 40 from Bahrain, India, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, Sri Lanka and Egypt, were judged by a panel of five, including Gulf Weekly’s own Mai Al-Khatib-Camille, on their overall appearance, attitude and look as well as their walk, smile, hair and confidence.
After three rounds of casual clothing, ethnic wear and evening attire, only eight contestants stepped into the final eliminator featuring a question and answer session to decide third place (for some strange reason called ‘second runner up’), runner up and winner.
While each girl lit up the stage in her own unique way, be it from showcasing a cheery disposition, donning dazzling traditional clothing, or a killer strut on the stage, it was the 25-year-old starry-eyed Egyptian Marwa Mohamed Ibrahim, who shone brightest. according to the judges and audience.
She presented a winning attitude, elegant attire and captivating smile throughout what seemed like at times, a never-ending pageant.
The real estate company marketing executive, from Manama, has been modelling, partaking in make-up photographic shoots and walking the catwalk since she was 18, hopes that securing the title will prove to be an ideal stepping stone to reaching her career goals.
Marwa, the mother of eight-month-old, Ellen, said: “I’m extremely thrilled to have won and hope my victory will encourage and inspire other women to compete in the future.
“I loved that the May Queen event featured so many women of different ages and backgrounds. I think it was a fair competition and it has really motivated me to continue pursuing my dreams in the field of fashion and beauty.”
Marwa has always had a passion for style and prides herself on keeping ‘in trend’ and up to date. She is thankful to her parents for travelling from their home in Saudi Arabia to watch her take the prize. They were joined by her grandmother and auntie who live in Bahrain, alongside husband Ebrahim Mohamed, a sales manager.
“My family has been absolutely wonderful. They stayed until well past 2.30am to watch me put on my crown,” said Marwa. “It was great to see and hear people cheering me on and I will carry this feeling forever. It just goes to show, anything is possible.”
Aside from the prestige, Marwa was also voted as the ‘audience’s choice’ and took home an airline ticket to Thailand courtesy of Jet Airways, almost $650 dollars in hand, a juicer, a hairdryer and an iPhone speaker.
While it was a dramatic and intense final, nothing will ever beat Marwa’s bitter sweet ending. She accidentally tripped on her own elegant black gown and fell with Ellen in her arms onto the stage. Ellen is doing well after suffering a little bruising around her eye.
This competition has been running for almost 40 years and is one of the main features on the Indian Club’s annual calendar. Hemant Nambiar, who tabulated the scores at the end of each round along with Vijay Sailor, said: “What makes the May Queen event so special is the fact that each participant displays a mixture of beauty, attitude and confidence and is a good role model.
“Some women that have won the competition have ended up competing further afield or pursuing a career in the beauty or film industries. Sri Lankan Jacqueline Fernandez, for example, went on to become a Bollywood star! Whoever wins, will end up having a title to carry with her in her journey of life and memories to treasure.”
The night, sponsored by Bahrain Financing Company and supported by Twenty4 Fashion, Jet Airways and BMMI, also featured musical performances after each round.
