SA teens scoop beauty titles

South Africa has bagged several crowns at the World League of Fashion & Beauty contest on Monday in Turkey.

Karli Liebenberg (11) was crowned Little Miss Universe and Supermodel of the World. Cayla van Eeden (14) scooped the Miss Teen World and Miss Photo Model of the World titles‚ Diolan Govender (15) was named Mr Teen World‚ Best Talent and Best of the Best‚ while Asanda Mchuni (19) walked away with the Miss Friendship crown.

The competition‚ which is in its 29th year‚ was hosted by World League of Fashion & Beauty owner Ashot Khachatryan from Armenia. His company is said to unite the biggest modelling agencies in the world‚ models‚ designers‚ perfumers and cosmetologists.

Pageants SA director Carolyn Botha said it was the third time that a South African had scooped the Miss Teen World crown and the second time that participants from the country won the Mister Teen World and Little Miss Universe titles.

"We are extremely happy and proud of our achievements and wins. This opens up so many international doors for our youth. It also creates a platform for them to actually be able to achieve and start doing charity work at a young age‚ which is more than incredible."

Speaking from Turkey‚ Govender said he wanted to become Mister Teen World because it would allow him raise awareness to empower youth on an international scale. "Through this‚ I want other teenagers to be inspired to start working towards their dreams from this young age‚" the Durban North teenager said.

Govender said he is too comfortable in his own skin to concern himself with stereotypes around male participants in pageants. "Once you are comfortable in your skin‚ you can conquer anything. In the world we live in‚ stereotypes always exist."

"In terms of pageantry‚ the main stereotype is that pageantry is meant for females and not for males. However‚ thousands of males across the world are proving that statement to be false."