The omens for Diego Maradona and his Argentine team are looking good after soccer mad Miss Argentina saw off the likes of Miss Brazil and Miss Germany at the “Miss World Penalty Shootout” in Johannesburg.

Organised by World Sport Destination Expo and AIPS, the competition pitted the eight 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter finalists (Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Ghana, Netherlands, Paraguay, Spain and Uruguay) against each other.

Argentine beauty Mae Screlkove beat Africa’s gorgeous representative, Mimi Areme, from Ghana 1-0 in the final in front of a crowd of more than 200 international media.

To reach the final the sure-footed Miss Argentina swept aside her German colleague in the quarter finals (1-0), then Spain (2-1) in the semi-final before her victory against Miss Ghana (1-0).

“I am very satisfied to win this trophy which is a good sign for me and for my country during this period of the 2010 World Cup. I hope that I win the Miss World contest which will be held in Vietnmam in October, and that our team will be world champion,” said Mae Screlkove.

(Gianni Merlo, President, AIPS with Lindiwe Kwele, Johannesburg Tourism Company chief and all the Miss World penalty takers)

Before the goal contest the various candidates gave their insight on the World Cup and their various favourites for the conquest of the trophy and were interviewed by Mr Fernando Nurnburg Zambrano (Bolivia), a member of the AIPS Football Commission and Ms Aya Elisabeth Goli (Ivory Coast), President of the Union of African Women Sports Reporters.

Tony Prince of World Sport Destination Expo addressed the audience of over 200 sports journalists covering the World Cup about the economic impact of sports tourism and the importance of countries who host sporting events to maximise these opportunities to showcase their destinations to the huge audience of international visitors.

(Tony Prince from World Sport Destination Expo, a ground-breaking sport tourism exhibition taking place in Johannesburg during the World Cup)

Contestants (in order of qualification) included:
1.  Uruguay – Eliana Oliveria- Gonnet
2.  Argentina – Mae Screlkove
3.  Ghana – Mimi Areme
4.  Germany – Maike Frohlingsdorf
5.  Netherlands – Francis Beukevelb
6.  Paraguay – Tamara Sosa-Zapattini
7.  Brazil – Luciana Reis
8.  Spain – Laura Garcia-Fernandez

(Gianni Merlo, President, AIPS makes an address to an audience of over 200 international sports journalists)

FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Nicolas Maingot, told the media his favourite moment of the 2010 edition of the World Cup has been the opening ceremony and the very first match – South Africa v Mexico. He also said how happy he was to attend the Miss World Penalty Shootout, which provided a lighter moment during the heavy World Cup schedule.

AIPS President Gianni Merlo highlighted the good work done for the media by FIFA and the local organising committee throughout the World Cup.

(Gianni Merlo, President, AIPS with Lindiwe Kwele chief of Johannesburg Tourism Company and Miss Argentina)

Also in attendance were Mr Jose Luis Cunha, Chairman of the Brazil Tourism Board, Mr Collin Mackenzie, General manager, Content SABC, Mr Morio Sanyane, Head of Media for the South African Football Association (SAFA).

World Sport Destination Expo

Sandton Convention Centre – Johannesburg
Maude Street Sandton 2196,
Johannesburg, South Africa

5 to 9 July 2010

www. worldsportdestinationexpo.com