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Jul 17, 2016 News
Guyana has long been recognised as a country with an incredible knack for pageantry. And some delegates who have participated in pageants at an international level over the years have even helped to give Guyana deserving recognition.
Guyana was yet again able to make pageant history when a delegate not only entered but made it into the top five of another global pageant.
It was Guyana’s inaugural entry into the Miss and Mister Deaf International Pageant held earlier this month in Las Vegas, United States. The delegate who represented Guyana was 34-year-old Sheikh Fazrul Mohamed, who is better known to his friends as Ricky.
According to the Miss and Mister Deaf International Inc website, it is an organization that pledges to empower, enhance and support today’s ever changing and ever growing community of Deaf Women and Men.
“As an Organization committed to excellence, we are honoured to provide a platform for our contestants to demonstrate not only their unique talents, intellect and beauty, but their overall personal and humanitarian goals.”
Ricky was in fact the one who caused the local Deaf Association to become aware of the pageant. This is according to one of the Association’s Directors, Quincy Richards.
Richards, who served as Ricky’s chaperon during the stay in Las Vegas, said that it was only after attempts to enter the local delegate into the Miss and Mister Deaf World Pageant failed that the International Pageant was sought after.
“We really didn’t like the response we were getting from Deaf World…,” recalled Richards who noted that after garnering some additional information an informed decision was made to write to the Deaf International organisation.
According to Richards, “We were very comfortable with the response we got from them and we decided to go for that.” Guyana only entered a male delegate.
Since the information about the pageant was only garnered shortly before the actual event, Richards said that sponsorship was not very forthcoming. “We actually went off of our own strength…Ricky’s dad assisted too,” Richards noted.
In Las Vegas the pageant, which catered to both genders, saw a total of 40 delegates –22 females and 18 males – vying for the respective crowns of Miss and Mister Deaf International.
Aside from Guyana, there were delegates representing Australia, Japan, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Indonesia, China, Kenya, among others. It was in fact the Kenyan delegate who claimed the Mr. Deaf International Title.
The delegates were all judged based on the outcome of a private interview (between the judges and each delegate), talent, national costume, business wear, swim wear and the final question.
For his talent piece Ricky did an Amerindian dance while garbed in the ‘first people’ tribal wear. Ricky designed all of the outfits he wore at the pageant.
“He decided what he was going to wear, how he wanted them to look…He designed them himself before he passed his ideas on to someone to bring them to life. He had me shopping around for days to get the items he needed for his designs,” recalled Richards.
Richards said that he was happy when Ricky was first named among the top 10 of the male delegates. He was, however, ecstatic when his name was again announced among the top five. “The Guyana delegate was the second name to be called for the top five…I was the only one from Guyana and I was just waving my Guyana flag…” recalled Richards who pointed out that there were people from all over the world at the massive Las Vegas Castle, the venue of the pageant.
Some of the pageant activities, which spanned July 2 to July 8, 2016, were also held at the Hard Rock Hotel.
“There were no sounds, there were only sign languages all the way through,” said Richards who is a proficient signer. In fact he disclosed that he was chosen to be Ricky’s chaperon in case there was a breakdown in communication between Ricky and the designated signers of the pageant.
“Every part of the world there are different signing systems but I didn’t have to help him because we already use a lot of the American Sign Language and he was able to cope really well,” disclosed Richards.
The highlight of the event, according to Richards, is that “We went into the pageant as virtually unknowns of course and we came out with everyone knowing Guyana…At least I know for sure they know our flag.”
With exposures such as the pageant, Richards is convinced that deaf people in Guyana and the world over could recognise that they do not have to be limited. “It can help to know that they can stand on their own and be able to interact with others from different cultures,” said an elated Richards, who noted that Guyana will certainly be seeking to offer other deaf persons such exposures.
Already, a woman has been identified for the pageant next year.
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