One of the 15 contestants in this year's Miss Heilala Pageant, has withdrawn from the competition, the Heilala Festival Committee has announced, following yesterday's orientation event. The judging events are set to begin on Tuesday next week with 14 contestants facing the pre-Pageant interview in the morning and the Tau'olunga traditional dancing event in the evening.
In a pageant update on Facebook the organisers said that the unnamed contestant had officially withdrawn from the competition due to personal reasons.
“We respect her decision and sincerely thank her for her participation. We wish her all th e very best in her future endeavors. As a result, the Miss Heilala 2026 Pageant will now continue with 14 contestants competing for the prestigious Miss Heilala crown.”
Meanwhile, contestant no. 14, Cristy Masima, who was sponsored as “Miss Kngdom of Tonga -the Friendly Islands”, has announced on her Facebook page that she has withdrawn from the contest.
