Bali Ready to Host Miss World Final Contest

Nusa Dua, Bali (Antara) - Bali has expressed its readiness to host the final session of the ongoing Miss World 2013 beauty contest on the island, after the central government revised the implementation permit of the final event in Bogor, West Java. "We are ready (to host the closing session) because we represent Indonesia," Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika said after the miss world opening ceremony in Bali International Convention Center (BICC) Nusa Dua, Badung district on Sunday night. The governor added that such a big event was a blessing for the Bali island and Indonesia as a whole because it promotes the country's culture. "(The Miss World event) in Bali is a blessing because we should not go anywhere (for promotion). We are honored to represent Indonesia," he noted. Pastika, however, didn't know the government's consideration to move the final event of the Miss World contest from Bogor to Bali including all of its month-long quarantine activities. According to him, it is not easy to move the venue of the event in a short time before the peak of the final session on September 28, 2013. Previously, the MNC group CEO Hary Tanoesoedibjo, the event organizer, said his side will communicate with the central government regarding the revision of the implementation permit of the Miss World final event which was earlier decided to be held in Bogor and Jakarta. The Miss World contest organizing committee was facing difficulty to find new venue for the final event in Bali on September 28, because it is close to the implementation of APEC summit scheduled to take place in Bali from early October 2013, he said. Earlier, governor Pastika expressed his pride over the holding of the Miss World 2013 beauty contest on the island. "The holding of the Miss World beauty pageant would bring Indonesia and especially Bali to international forum," he said on the sidelines of the opening of the event here on Sunday. He said the event would promote Indonesia`s tourism and culture and so he appealed to people to make it a success. (*)