Nina Davuluri wins the 2014 Miss America crown in New Jersey, sparking celebrations in India. Michael Loccisano / Getty Images / AFP
Nina Davuluri wins the 2014 Miss America crown in New Jersey, sparking celebrations in India. Michael Loccisano / Getty Images / AFP

New Delhi cheers for first Miss America of Indian descent



NEW DELHI // India on Monday cheered Nina Davuluri, the first woman of Indian heritage to win the Miss America beauty pageant.
Ms Davuluri, 24, won judges over with her charm, looks and her talent routine, a Bollywood fusion dance, to beat out 53 other contestants.
It appeared that she won over India as well.
Kartik Mahajan, radio host in the capital, said there was jubilation across the country after Ms Davuluri was crowned Miss America.
"When somebody of Indian origin wins something abroad, everyone takes notice of it, especially when it happens in America. We tend to try and grasp and collectively take credit for something someone else has done, because it lends scrutiny to us as Indians achieving something that is noticed worldwide.
"It becomes a bigger deal when you say an Indian-American has won it. That's why it is a big deal."
Noyonika Chatterjee, a model often referred to as the Indian Naomi Campbell, said she hoped Ms Davuluri's win would shatter US stereotypes about people from Asia.
"There have always been these misconceptions of terrorism, that anyone who comes from this part of the world is a terrorist. That big barrier was broken with her win, more so than the fact that she is dark-skinned," Ms Chatterjee told The National.
"I am glad that somebody who is South Asian, who was born in America, went the unconventional way, and contested a beauty title. Her getting it is commendable."
At the Khoobsurat salon in New Delhi, Nikku Goyal, 23, and Noshi Tamang, 29, watched a television clip that showed Ms Davuluri waving to the crowds soon after she was crowned on Sunday.
"She could have a great career in Bollywood," Ms Goyal said. "That smile, those eyes, that height, [she is a] total package."
Moments after being crowned the 2014 Miss America at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Ms Davuluri, who entered the contest as Miss New York, described how delighted she was that the nearly century-old pageant saw beauty and talent of all kinds.
"I'm so happy this organisation has embraced diversity," she said. "I'm thankful there are children watching at home who can finally relate to a new Miss America."
Her pageant platform was "celebrating diversity through cultural competency".
The native of Syracuse, New York, wants to be a doctor and is applying to medical school with the help of a US$50,000 (Dh183,500) scholarship she won as part of the pageant title. Her family hails from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and she was also the first woman of Indian heritage to win the Miss New York crown.
Ms Davuluri's victory led to some negative comments on Twitter from users upset that someone of Indian heritage had won the pageant. She brushed those aside.
"I have to rise above that," she said. "I always viewed myself as first and foremost American."
Ms Tamang said she understood some of the backlash.
"If a blonde girl won Miss India, we would all be surprised," she said. "But I realise America is more diverse. There are different races there and she deserves to win because she is the most beautiful of all contestants."
Ms Davuluri's grandmother said she cried when she saw the news on television.
"I am very, very, happy for the girl. It was her dream and it was fulfilled," said V Koteshwaramma, 89, said in the city of Vijayawada, in Andhra Pradesh, where people spent Monday celebrating the win.
She said there were numerous doctors in the family, both in the US and India, and that if her granddaughter wanted to become one, "I am sure she will do it."
Asked about her granddaughter appearing in a bikini, given the conservative attitudes about such things in India, Ms Koteshwaramma said: "I haven't seen any such thing. This must be all part of the competition."
The pageant had pitted contestants from each state, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands - in swimsuit, evening gown, talent and interview competitions.
sbhattacharya@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Associated Press

The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
 
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
 
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

Meydan racecard:

6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres

7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m

7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m

8.15pm: UAE Oaks | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m

8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m

9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Leaderboard

64 - Gavin Green (MAL), Graeme McDowell (NIR)

65 - Henrik Stenson (SWE), Sebastian Soderberg (SWE), Adri Arnaus (ESP), Victor Perez (FRA), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)

66 - Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Lewis (ENG), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Ross Fisher (ENG), Aaron Rai (ENG), Ryan Fox (NZL)

67 - Dustin Johnson (USA), Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (ESP), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Joost Luiten (NED), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)

68 - Alexander Bjork (SWE), Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Adrian Meronk (POL), David Howell (ENG), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), Sean Crocker (USA), Scott Hend (AUS), Justin Harding (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Renato Paratore (ITA)

Score

Third Test, Day 2

New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)

Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings

England World Cup squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
  • 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
  • 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
  • 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES

Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)

FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm

Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm

Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm

Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm 

Thursday

Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm

Sevilla v Roma  (one leg only)  8.55pm

FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm 

Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm 

IF YOU GO
 
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
 
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info

 Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.

Major matches on Manic Monday

Andy Murray (GBR) v Benoit Paire (FRA)

Grigor Dimitrov (BGR) v Roger Federer (SUI)

Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Gilles Muller (LUX)

Adrian Mannarino (FRA) Novak Djokovic (SRB)

Company name: Farmin

Date started: March 2019

Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi 

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: AgriTech

Initial investment: None to date

Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs 

Match info:

Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')

Morocco 0