Young Nadia Gori in the making

Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
Nadia Muruvirwa (5), named after former Miss Tourism Bulawayo Nadia Gori on Christmas Day in 2010, seems to be following her namesake’s footsteps, as she won her first beauty pageant last week.

On Saturday the girl was crowned Miss Emakhandeni Pre-school queen.

Her parents named her Nadia after Gori visited Mpilo Central Hospital on Christmas Eve as she was doing her duties and donated food and clothing items to patients.

As fate would have it the young girl was born at midnight on Christmas Day and Gori donated a hamper for the baby, toiletries for the mother and a suit for the father.

In appreciation and excitement her parents named their newborn Nadia.

An elated Jane Mupembera, the tot’s mother said she did not realise that naming her daughter after Gori could make her follow in her footsteps.

“I remember on Christmas Day after I had given birth when Nadia Gori came to donate the goods. We decided to name my daughter Nadia because of how she helped us at that time. I didn’t think that she was going to enter a pageant. And when she did I let her because I wanted her to participate in something at pre-school. When she won I remembered Nadia Gori,” said Mupembera.

Young Nadia just sat by her mother’s side smiling as she spoke to Chronicle Showbiz.

Gori, like her namesake entered the world of modelling at an early age when she was 10. She gained recognition when she was named first princess Miss Teen Bulawayo and second princess Miss Teen Zimbabwe, both titles she earned in 2010.

At the peak of her career in the modelling industry, Nadia represented Zimbabwe at the 15th edition of the Miss Tourism International pageant held in Malaysia in 2012.

During that competition she made it into the Top Five of the Miss Talent category ahead of 50 other beauties.

Efforts to get a comment from her yesterday were fruitless as her two cellphone numbers were unreachable.