Couva queen motorcade thrills Central residents

Residents of Central Trinidad got an unexpected thrill of excitement when the seven contestants in the Miss Central Trinidad Queen Pageant paraded in a motorcade through several communities on February 22.

Standing atop colourfully decorated open-backed vehicles, the seven lovely ladies gave onlookers a peek of what to expect when the pageant is staged at the Couva Car Park on Carnival Saturday, March 1.

Accompanied by the infectious music of DJ Audio Active Sound Company led by Rishi Ramsarran, the motorcade was greeted with hearty applause by onlookers, many of whom came out of their homes and businesses to see the contestants. The high point of the five-hour-long event was the passage through the crowded Chaguanas Main Road as traffic crawled at a snail’s pace as shoppers enjoyed the spectacle.

The contestants are excited to showcase the pageant, explaining that the experience increased their confidence in facing the judges on Carnival Saturday. “Being a part of this motorcade has given us the confidence not only to compete in the show but to prepare ourselves for the future challenges ahead. We also get to bond together as friends and to see villages we don’t even know,” said an enthusiastic Kalayah Adolphus, a 16-year-old student.

Ramchand Rajbal Maraj, chairman of the Couva Carnival Committee, and organisers of the show said the motorcade served the purpose of taking the pageant to the various communities in Central Trinidad and engaging the residents in the festivities Couva Carnival has to offer in 2025.

“The response from the people was very positive which augurs well for our festivities this year. It also offered us the opportunity to thank our sponsors for their support of the pageant. Without their partnership it would not happen,” Rajbal Maraj explained.

Contestants in the Miss Central Trinidad Queen Pageant are:

Meg-Anne Lalla (Miss New India Assurance); Janaya Medina (Miss Camden Food Stores); Sh’nyk Prince (Miss Metro Hotel); Jaishree Rampersad (Miss Sinanan & Associates); Khalayah Adolphus (Miss MIU Security); Keira Rampaul (Miss Rollin Tyre Importers); and Naysa Semper (Miss Club Cassava).