India's Miss World Runner Up Celebrates Her Victory

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oi-Staff

By Staff

Monday, December 15, 2008, 13:56

India boasts of Miss Worlds like Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000). Now to join the list is Parvathy Omanakuttan. She was adjudged the first runner-up of Miss World 2008 at a glittering ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday, while Miss Russia Kseniya Sukhinova won one of the most prestigious crown of the year.

Miss Trinidad and Tobago Gabrielle Walcott was declared second runner-up. Among the other five finalists were Ms Angola Brigite Santos and Ms South Africa Tansey Coetzee

Parvathy Omanakuttan celebrated her victory at their ancestral house in Kottayam. She impressed the jury with her looks and quick wit and was one the five finalists out of the 109 contestants at the Sandton Convention Center. She was finally beaten by Miss Russia.

Parvathy's excited family members said they were actually expecting her to win the Miss World crown. "I am very happy, but disappointed very much, because not only me, every one in the family expected that she will be getting the Miss World crown," said Ashok Kumar, Parvathy's uncle.

The pageant was broadcast live to over one billion viewers in 187 countries. Last year's Miss World title was won by China's Zhang Zi Lin.