Photos by Linny Folau / Matangi Tonga

Regrets that the crowning of this year’s Miss Heilala Pageant “was not completed in the usual manner” were expressed by Tonga's Heilala Festival Director Hon. Semisi Sika and the President of the Tonga Tourist Association Siosaia Moehau today.

“The final night of the pageant competition is to celebrate the 25 contestants’ participation and to crown the winner, this was not completed in the usual fashion, which is truly regretted for the 25 contestants, their families and supporters,” they said in a statement.

It was their first acknowledgement that the outgoing Miss Heilala 2018 - Kalo Funganitao left the venue without crowning her successor, after delivering a tirade against the pageant organisers in her farewell speech.

The new Miss Heilala Pageant 2019-20, Yehenara Soukop was put in an awkward situation where she had to crown herself.

However, the statement by the Heilala Festival 2019 organisers did not go so far as to apologize to anyone for the chaotic finale to this year’s pageant at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Live streaming of the long event on the internet was followed by a world-wide audience of thousands of Tongans with many commenting on social media, as the beauty pageant turned ugly. Earlier in the evening there were reports of a special guest Miss Pacific Islands 2018-19, Leoshina Mercy Kariha from Papua New Guinea being verbally abused by hecklers and of loud drunkenness in the hall. In the end the outgoing Kalo delivered her tirade, the mood darkened and the new Miss Heilala had to crown herself.

While the organisers today acknowledged Kalo Funganitao, for her efforts to support the promotion of Tonga in the last year, they stated that: “It is regretful though that Ms Funganitao chose to publicly air concerns harbored over the past year, at a time that the focus belongs to the contestants and incoming Miss Heilala for 2019-20. ”

Acknowledged

The statement today by the Heilala Festival Director was issued to “acknowledge” the 25 contestants “for their enthusiasm and camaraderie throughout the week long competition,” and to congratulate the winner of the Miss Heilala Pageant 2019-20, Yehenara Soukoup.

The organisers also stated that the attendance of the Miss Pacific Islands 2018-19, Ms Leoshina Mercy Kariha, “elevated the importance of the Miss Heilala Pageant as the Heilala Festival celebrates its 40^th anniversary in 2019.”