Miss Grand Liberia
| Formation | August 10, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Velegar Curry |
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Monrovia |
| Location | |
Official language |
|
National director | Velegar Curry (2021) |
| Affiliations | Miss Grand International |
Miss Grand Liberia was a national female beauty pageant in Liberia, headquartered in Monrovia.[1][2][3] The competition was established in 2021[4] by Velegar Curry, a Liberian American based in Charlotte.[5] The winner of the pageant was designated to represent Liberia at the affiliated international competition, Miss Grand International.[4][6][7]
Since the inception of Miss Grand International, Liberia has participated only once, in 2021, when Hajamaya Mulbah represented the country;[8][9] she did not achieve placement among the finalists.[10]
History
After obtaining the Miss Grand International license for Liberia in 2021, Velegar Curry launched applications for the national competition in June of that year, with the contest initially scheduled for August 2021.[1] Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event—featuring nine national finalists—was instead conducted virtually through the Zoom platform. The title was originally awarded to Goretti Itoka, a social media marketing strategist and former Miss Mano River Union;[4][8] however, she was dethroned one month later and replaced by fellow finalist Hajamaya Mulbah.[6][7][8][9]
Edition
Miss Grand Liberia was organized as a stand-alone contest only once in 2021.
| Year | Edition | Date | Final venue | Entrants | Winner | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1st | 10 August 2021 | Virtual contest | 9 | Montserrado – Goretti Itoka | [2][3] |
International competition
The following is a list of Ghanaian representatives at the Miss Grand International contest.
| Year | Representative | Title | Placement | Special Award | National Director | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Hajamaya Mulbah | Runner-up Miss Grand Liberia 2021 | Unplaced | – | Velegar Curry | [8][9] [11] |
| Goretti Itoka | Miss Grand Liberia 2021 | Dethroned | ||||
| Did not compete from 2013 to 2020 | ||||||
Scandal
In 2021, approximately one month following her coronation as Miss Grand Liberia, Goretti Itoka was supplanted by fellow finalist Hajamaya Mulbah.[8][9][11] The organizing committee publicly stated that Itoka had voluntarily relinquished the title on account of health concerns. Itoka, however, later refuted this claim, asserting that her removal had occurred without prior notice or adequate justification.[8][9][6] The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism of Liberia (MICAT) subsequently intervened in an attempt to mediate the situation, issuing formal correspondence to the organizing body, though no official response was ever recorded.[6] In lieu of reinstatement, Itoka was extended an invitation to represent Liberia at Miss Grand International 2022, an offer which she ultimately declined.[12]
References
- ^ a b "Miss Grand Liberia 2021". Miss Grand Liberia. June 2021. Archived from the original on 15 March 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Goretti Itoka élue Miss "Grand Liberia 2021"". www.exclusif.net (in French). 12 August 2021. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Goretti Itoka to compete in Miss Grand International 2021". Liberian Stars View Inc. 2021. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b c Justin Coulibaly (12 August 2021). "Goretti Itoka nommée Miss Grand Liberia 2021". Afrik.com (in French). Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ Cleopatra Speare (18 June 2021). "Beauty queens of Liberia, who knows, it could be one of us bringing our country to the front page of the world in Thailand or the United States of America on the Miss Grand International stage. Rush now on Instagram, and on the Miss Grand Liberia page to register now". Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Hajamaya replaces Goretti as Miss Grand Liberia 2021". Modelsgistafrica.com. 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ a b Noradence (21 October 2021). "Miss Grand International 2021 Hajamaya replaces Goretti as Miss Grand Liberia 2021". www.modelsgistafrica.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2024 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b c d e f "Goretti Itoka replaced by Hajamaya Mulbah as Miss Grand Liberia 2021". The Times of India. 18 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Justin Coulibaly (16 September 2021). "Miss Grand Liberia, Goretti Itoka explique pourquoi elle a été remplacée par Hajamaya Mulbah". Afrik.com (in French). Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ "มิสแกรนด์เวียดนาม คว้ามงทอง Miss Grand International 2021". Prachachat (in Thai). 4 December 2021. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ a b Kerkula Blama (15 September 2021). "Hajamaya Mulbah Replaces Goretti Itoka At The Miss Grand International Pageant". Geez Liberia. Archived from the original on 15 March 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ Anthony M Fofana (15 September 2021). "Miss Grand Liberia ND Reject Winner to participate in 2021 Miss Grand International. Big Wahala in Liberia Pageantry". gossipliberia.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
