Giving up crown isn`t easy: Miss Universe

Miami: The Miss Universe 2011 pageant in Brazil will be a bittersweet moment for Mexico`s Ximena Navarrete, who is getting ready to hand over the crown to her successor.

"Giving up the crown isn`t easy, because wearing it has been an honour and also symbolises a very special year in my life, but it`s also beautiful to give that chance to another girl," the 24-year-old said. "The crown lets you do many beautiful things, but it also teaches you a lot as a person and as a woman. Traveling, getting to know new cultures. All of that enriches you," said Ximena. She, however, did not speculate on who her successor might be. The new Miss Mexico, 23-year-old Karin Ontiveros, said about Ximena: "I`ve been watching beauty pageants since I was little, and they didn`t seem real to me. When I saw Ximena win, I got so excited, because it was all suddenly real. To see that a compatriot was able to take the crown inspired me and decided me to enter the contest." IANS