KIYG hostesses bring smiles to faces, add glamour to Medals Ceremonies

KIYG: Not just power-packed performances, Khelo India Youth Games is also about beautiful sari-clad ladies.

You see them everywhere – gracefully draped in magenta and green or vibrant yellow and red, with gold borders, subtle makeup on their faces, hair straight and glossy, or lovingly bundled into buns.

These ladies at every medal and trophy presentation ceremony are adding an extra dash of glamour to the Games.

Sakshi, 19, and Pamela, 21, are freelancers who live in Panchkula. Friends since their college days (they graduated from an institute affiliated to Panjab University), they are part of Buzz Planners, an event planning agency.

Both women say they love the colour of their saris and enjoy the bonhomie and spirit inside the stadia. They love being part of the spotlight too. Of course, they love the colour of money too.

Hostesses are hired by Sports For All, the official Event Management Agency for Khelo India here in Haryana. “They take decisions on the outfits and buy or rent whatever is required,” a Haryana government official explained.

Pamela says they also work for weddings and corporate events. “It keeps us busy,” says Sakshi.

Interestingly, both also have a network of friends who they hire for events. “We feel happy when we are able to get other girls on board as hostesses for events and pay them from the money we get,” they say. “So you can say we are also managing manpower.”

The duo participates in around 20-25 events in a month. “It can get tiring,” admits Pamela, “but it’s an amazing experience.”

There are close to four dozen hostesses in five different cities. In all, over 250 gold medals are at stake, suggesting that at least two of them need to be at each of the ceremonies.