Pardon the cliché, but it’s truly a dream come true
For Iresha Asanki De Silva, the Miss Sri Lanka title is literally a dream come true. “As a child, I would look at all these beautiful women on television and think ‘that’s what I want to be one day’,” she says. “So to say this title is something I’ve wanted for a very long time is an understatement.”
Iresha Asanki De Silva
A mere couple of weeks after her win, Iresha is already prepping for the momentous challenge that lies ahead. The 22-year-old model hails from Moratuwa and went straight into modelling following her Advanced Levels at Buddhist Ladies’ College collecting titles like Model of the New Generation 2011 and Best Female Model 2012. Being recognised in these competitions gave her the confidence she needed to apply for the Miss Sri Lanka contest, she says. “Even though my plan was to apply next year I was persuaded into applying for the 2013 title,” she smiles. “And I’m very glad I did!”
The 5’7” beauty secured the title ahead of 11 other finalists and will go on to represent Sri Lanka at the Miss World pageant to be held in September in Indonesia. This win is no mere fluke-Iresha was chosen from amongst a bevy of other young hopefuls. Following her application, she was called for an interview and managed to rapidly make her way ahead to the Top 12. Surprisingly, she didn’t win any mini-titles but that seems hardly to have mattered considering she managed to get the one that counted! She is joined in the winning stakes by first runner-up Chulakshi Ranathunga and second runner-up Sharon Huyghebaert “I was up against a pretty impressive line-up of models for the title,” she says. “So it’s an honour to have been chosen from amongst them to represent Sri Lanka.”
Right now, her life is a carefully planned regime of diet, exercise and beauty routines along with training from some of the industry’s best. Preparations are already underway for her big trip to Indonesia in September, where she will have to fend for herself amongst the 95 other beauty queens from around the world. Sri Lanka is currently ranked 60 in terms of country ranking at Miss World, with three contestants having made it to the semi-finals over the years since 1951. Iresha will face some tough competition and this is why she has a fleet of former models, beauticians and organizers behind her, advising her on the many facets of the competition.
Since the first ever Miss World pageant in 1951, viewers across the globe have shown keen interest in the competitors. The pageant draws in a viewership of over a billion and still stands as one of the most watched shows on earth. When Iresha takes her place amongst some of the world’s most beautiful women in September, the eyes of the world will be upon her-fingers crossed that on September 28 at the Sentul International Convention Centre, Sri Lankans across the world will see a familiar face upping the stakes for her country.
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