TWO former Bahrain residents who have won beauty pageants have thanked the kingdom for instilling confidence in them to go for glory.
Mrs UAE International 2021 Nidhi Vig Chawla and Mrs India 2021 Aishwarya Jayachandran both said that Bahrain “groomed” them for the coveted titles.
Ms Chawla, who beat 17 other contestants to win the crown, said it was a “dream come true”.
“Bahrain helped me emerge as a confident woman; it helped me with the talent round (dance), ramp walk, and the question-and-answer round,” said the 30-year-old mother who had taken part in shows in Bahrain, such as the Indian Club’s May Queen pageant.
“Every woman has a vision for herself and wants to achieve it; I believe my passion and zest for pageants compelled me to enter this contest.”
Career
The alumnus of the Indian School Bahrain (ISB) and Symbiosis Institute, Bangalore was born and brought up in Bahrain.
Her parents, Om Prakash Vig, who worked for the Electricity and Water Affairs Ministry, and Neelam Vig, a former ISB teacher, have been in the country for more than three decades.
Ms Chawla moved to Dubai in 2017 after marrying DHL global project manager Prateek Chawla and the couple has a 22-month-old son, Samarvir.
The family is from the Indian state of Punjab.
In Bahrain, Ms Chawla worked as a finance analyst for Grant Thornton and later for the Bahrain Airport Company.
Meanwhile, 2021 was a “great” year for Ms Jaychandran who won Mrs India 2021, Mrs Kerala Global 2021, Mrs Southindia Dazzling Smile 2021 and Mrs Diva 2021.
She told the GDN that she plans to compete for the Mrs Universe title.
“Chase your dreams; there will be situations and people who will try to derail you but never give up, because victory will be yours one day or the other.”
The 38-year-old mother of a 10-year-old son, Aryan, was an RJ in Bahrain from 2011 until she and her husband, LuLu Group’s global digital head Vinith Vipin, relocated to Abu Dhabi earlier this year.
“I spent more than a decade of my life as an RJ in Bahrain, and the country was instrumental in shaping my career, instilling confidence in me, and making me into the strong woman I am today.”
Ms Jayachandran was born to S Jayachandran and Lathika from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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