…12 contestants vying for the crown

The main auditorium of the Chamber of Commerce in the Italian city Brescia will be set with excitement, come Saturday December 6, as the Miss Ghana in Italy beauty pageant comes off on its stage.

The contest will bring into focus 12 Ghanaian young ladies from 8 different cities in Italy vying for the enviable crown won last year by Winifred Tawiah, a 19-year-old student from Mantova.

All 12 contestants: Stella Dankwa (from Modena), Antonette Ama Aggrey (Verona), Linda Pecku-Boateng (Lecco), Rachael Osei-Baah (Vicenza), Adjoa Kraba Annan (Brescia), Gifty Ofosua Boakye (Pordenone), Linda Frimpomaa Opoku (Mantova), Giulietta Boakye (Modena), Silvia Asare Adade (Mantova), Lina Oparebeah Manu (Modena), Cindy Osei Kuffuor (Bergamo) and Akua Sakyia (Modena) were in Brescia at the weekend to rehearse for the big day program expected to live up to its billing.

The competition being organised the Council of Ghana Nationals Association in Italy (COGNAI) has a short history, which started only 2 years ago, but has generated a great deal of interest from the Ghanaian community in Italy and to an extent some Italian companies. A good number of fans were at the rehearsal and some of them I spoke to expressed satisfaction anticipating once again a contest that will bring to the fore the Ghanaian culture under its costume, music, dancing among other trappings. The President of the Ghana Association in Brescia, John Aduku, said in short interview the Ghanaian community in Brescia are elated the event is being hosted in the city and the message is to showcase the image of Ghana and to motivate the youths to come out with their talent.

Five sponsors are behind this year’s event - Rete Brescia (a private TV Station in Brescia), Ghanacoop based in Modena, Shepherd Radio (a Ghanaian-owned Radio Station in Vicenza), Ben Boamp Music Promotion (also owned by a Ghanaian in Italy) and OBE TV (based in London).

The night will also feature special artistes, Sanahene, T.U.C, Yaw Roger, C. Moe and Zaggidi.

It’s expected Jonathan Bartels-Kodwo (Minister-Consular of the Ghana Embassy in Rome), Virgilio Baresi (President of Rete Brescia), Stephen Appiah (Ghana’s ace footballer), Dario Polatti (Counselor of the City Council in Brescia), Thomas McCarthy (President of Ghanacoop), Rev. George Abrefah (C.E.O - Shepherd Radio) and Omari Somuah (President of COGNAI) will all be making an appearance to grace the occasion.