Well-wishers gathered at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport to bid our queen farewell and wish her success as she joins other beauties from around the globe for the coveted crown. Competing in such events is nerve-wracking, and one needs to be fully prepared to stand a chance of making it as a finalist.
It is not just about physical fitness; mental state matters too. Unfortunately, sometimes our queens end up facing such fierce competition without the necessary support, like a chaperone and other team players. Many queens travel with a whole team to assist them with every need. Hopefully, this time, our queen also travelled with a team to navigate the tough competition. Chombo will undoubtedly need our support as a country, but she also requires a support team in India to encourage her and provide guidance on various issues. While she may be well-prepared for the big stage, she will still need coaching on other matters.
Last year, some people criticised our then-queen for deciding to wear a dress offered by one of the contestants. Let's be honest; she had a wardrobe malfunction and she was on her own, so she made the best decision she could. As much as we are keen on competing on the world stage, let us ensure we do right by our contestants. In every competition, cheering on participants gives them confidence and the motivation to compete. Some queens go to Miss World with dieticians, counsellors and wardrobe squad, just to mention a few, but sometimes we cannot send our queens with a full team.
We hope our 2022–2023 queen travels with people who will assist her with her daily needs. To our beautiful queen: You deserve the crown and Batswana are rallying behind you! Give the competition your all and most importantly, enjoy yourself. Yes, we want that crown to come to Botswana but do not put yourself under unnecessary pressure.
You will still be our queen even if you do not come back with the Miss World crown. All the best Chombo! The sky is the limit! Go show them what you have got! To Miss Botswana organisers: Keep up the good work and ensure that our queen is well taken care of while she is in India. Hopefully, this time around, she has all she needs to compete without having to worry about the little things ahead of a major competition. The crown is ours!
