‘When one door closes, another door opens,’ is a quote
that applies perfectly well to the story of Maria Alysia
Gomes. A young girl from Cuncolim, Maria Alysia
was heartbroken when she was told that she was not
selected for the Miss India pageant due to her height of
5’3”. However, she was meant for grander success. She
recently returned to Goa, wearing the crown of ‘Major
Intercontinental Beauty Queen 2017’.
The daughter of Maria Lilafer and Altinho Gomes
and youngest sister to Lavesh and Aysander, Maria had
dreamt of representing India at an international level, and
this pageant came as a complete surprise. She won the
overall crown of ‘Queen Beyond Beauty’ held at Panama.
Organised by Reina Costa Rica Intercontinental, she had
to undergo week long training and interaction for the
international pageant, where she was judged on the basis
of every move that she made. She also won two titles,
‘Miss Beautiful body’ and ‘Best National Outfit’, which was
designed by Goan designer, Melvyn Noronha.
“I was into modelling right from my college days at
Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts & Science, Margao
and I walked the ramp for many Goan designers,
including Verma D’Mello. During one of these college
events, a selection for candidates for Miss India was held,
where I was selected for the first round. Unfortunately,
for the second round, I got a call from their New
Delhi office, to inform that I didn’t meet their height
requirements, which was a minimum of 5’7’,” says Maria
Se further adds, “Fortunately for me, I came
across Melvyn Noronha, who has been more than a
mentor to me. He informed me that the Reina Petite
Intercontinental 2017 would be held in New Delhi,
and this was the competition for me, as it is for shorter
women. I had nothing to go on with, and had to research
and study everything on my own. It is a great thing that
we can find information on social media and I could
prepare myself with the walk, grooming and etiquette.”
Maria Alysia went on to win the Reina Petite
Intercontinental 2017 title in New Delhi and was
nominated to represent India for the gala intercontinental
beauty contest in Panama. “It was not an easy task, and it
is completely different from our image of the modelling
world. For the week that I was in New Delhi, we had to
make videos and presentations. One of the challenges
was a wearing a 13” pair of heels and modelling without
falling down,” she says with a confident smile as she won
the titles of Miss Fitness and Miss Wellness at New Delhi.
She was crowned by the first Miss India.
In New Delhi, Maria Alysia competed against 15 Indian
girls, while in Panama her competition was against 33
candidates. “A beauty pageant can be emotionally and
physically taxing as you are judged on every detail. I was
judged for my empathy while visiting cancer patients.
The CEO of RCRI Conceptos, Jose Vasconez is a cancer
survivor and the pageant supports the cancer cause,” says
Her national costume was designed by Melvyn
Noronha who pays great attention to finer details of a
costume. As a trained Bharatnatyam dancer, her costume
emphasised the Bharatnatyam style with the bright
colours of orange and yellow, which represent India.
as the St Francis Cross,”
can join her family in Cuncolim, and cook her father’s
favourite meal, a piping hot delicious chicken pie, filled
with lots of love and gratitude.