A graduate of Buddhist Girl’s College in Mount Lavinia, Asanki (as she prefers to be called) followed two courses after her Advanced Level examinations. One was an IT course, and the other, a course on airline ticketing conducted by Deepal Perera of Sri Lankan Airlines.
In 2011 however, Asanki decided to participate in a competition called ‘Models of a New Generation.’ She won several titles at that competition, including ‘Body Beautiful’ and ‘Miss Continental Queen’.
“I didn’t expect to win at all, because I didn’t have any experience. Yet somehow, I won it,” Asanki says, smiling at the memory. “I felt really happy, because it is the first thing I won – the first thing I was placed first in,” Asanki said, reliving the moment.
Not all of Asanki’s family was pleased when she initially decided to enter the glitzy world of beauty pageants – her two older brothers, for instance, were against the decision. Thankfully for Asanki, her parents understood her desire to fulfill her childhood dream, and gave her the freedom to pursue it. Following her success,
Asanki says, the entire family has rallied round to support her.
It was a steep learning curve for Asanki – she certainly did not have an easy road to her titles. Although Asanki already had some experience in modeling, as a beauty queen she had to learn much more. These included not just lessons on how to walk and pose on the runway, but also how to work with people of diverse backgrounds. “Being a beauty queen is all about working with people,” Asanki said. Most importantly, she says, she has learned the value of patience.
The unexpected success Asanki earned from her first modeling experience in 2011 spurred her on to compete in other competitions, many of which she won. In 2012, Asanki was named the Best Female Model in a competition for Supermodel International. She was also chosen as one of the best ten models in 43 countries for the Supermodel International event overall that same year. Earlier on, she also shone in a provincial beauty queen contest, emerging runner up.
Asanki first heard about the Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World competition last year. She decided to take part in 2013, mainly because of the age limit on contestants.
“The competition was very tough, and all the girls were very well prepared,” Asanki said, reminiscing about the day when she won the title, and the chance to represent her country.
“I was confident, and I did have the idea of winning in my mind,” Asanki said, in fact, she says her self-confidence was a valuable asset which helped her win in the end. Having said that, Asanki was once again stunned when she heard the decision that she had won the competition – just as she had been during that very first “Models of a New Generation” competition in 2011.
Since Asanki was named Miss Sri Lanka, she will soon be departing to Bali to participate in the Miss World pageant – in fact, she is leaving to Indonesia on September 3, she says. At present, she spends all day preparing for the upcoming final competition – the most important competition she has ever participated in.
Winning the chance to compete was only the beginning of a long journey, she pointed out.
“There are so many things to train for,” Asanki explained. These range from preparing her wardrobe for the contest, to training on her modeling skills, to preparing for the mini titles. For instance, Asanki has to undergo many hours of training for the dance events. The talent competition allows contestants to show their skill and versatility through singing or dancing – Asanki has chosen the latter and will be performing a traditional dance on the big day.
On most days, Asanki says she has an 8 a.m. start, although at times she gets about her day even earlier – it is already a little less than a month to the competition.
At the moment, Asanki’s focus is on the upcoming competition in Indonesia, as she plans to do her best and represent her country. A good part of Asanki’s current day is spent doing research on the Internet, mostly on the Miss World pageant so that she can gain some idea of what the experience will be like, and in this way be better prepared for the upcoming competition. She also sticks to a strict workout regimen to keep healthy so that she looks her best on September 3, and follows other beauty routines to enhance her looks. With her confidence and poise, Asanki seems more than ready to shine in Bali – so watch this space for more on her achievements following the Miss World pageant.
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