Pageant that Created History
Upasna Gurung from Nagaland was crowned as the winner of Miss SAKE India 2020, after an intensely fought thrilling contest held on February 21, 2020. The 25-year-old ravishing beauty was crowned by none other than Sae Haruta, Miss Sake Japan 2019.
It was the first-ever Miss SAKE India contest, which came across as a glittering event for the guests. It was held at The Kimono Club, The Chanakya Mall, Chankyapuri, New Delhi.
The Contest
14 ladies from India and abroad participated in the contest for the coveted crown, which was spread through two exciting rounds that not only judged the physical beauty but also the holistic personality of the contestants. The much anticipated contest was organised by the Spiritz magazine under the license of Miss Sake Association, Japan.
Among the 35 applicants who met the eligibility criteria for the contest, 14 were shortlisted by the in-house experts of Spiritz. Those 14 appeared for the contest.
The panel of esteemed judges for the much anticipated contest comprised Kenji Sugino, Secretary General, JCCII (Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India); Sae Haruta, Miss Sake Japan 2019; Rita Gangwani, grooming and personality development mentor; Pradeep Kharab, noted actor and model; Bishan Kumar, Editor-in-Chief, Spiritz; and Sumaira Khan, Executive Editor & Anchor, TV9 news channel.
Before the contest began, Emcee of the event, Capt. Riya Nehra gave a brief description about the Spiritz magazine, Miss SAKE India 2020 contest and the process through which the candidates were selected.
Tough Call
The judging parameters evaluated the contestants comprehensively. They were based on the contestants’ appearance, confidence, stage presence, their language & communication skills, their understanding of Japanese culture, food & Sake, their exposure to the F&B industry, their flexibility of movement within India and their extracurricular proficiency in any form of art.
In the first round, the contestants were questioned by the judges. From the first round where each contestant was given 2-3 minutes, five semi finalists were selected. After the second round of questioning, three finalists were selected. The judges’ panel then arrived at the selection of the winner of Miss SAKE India 2020, the 1st Runner-up and the 2nd Runner-up on the basis of their judging parameters. Ratika Jai Mehra from Singapore was adjudged the 1st Runner Up and Geetanjali Joshi of Delhi was adjudged as the 2nd Runner Up.
The event served as an opportunity for the guests to get exposure to Japan’s rich food & culture. The guests enjoyed some specially curated snacks with Hakushika Sake imported by Rad Elan Distributors; Enso Japanese Whisky from Indospirit and Yavira beer from Kimaya Himalyan Beverages.
Miss Sake contests are being held in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Vietnam, and now it is held in India. After the hosting of this contest, India enters the league of select countries which did hold Miss Sake Contest in their countries. Miss Sake contest will also be held in Shanghai, China this year. Miss Sake title winners of these countries will be invited as guest participants at the Miss Sake Japan 2020 at Kyoto, Japan, which will be held on 25th March 2020.
