Melbourne:
A Fiji-born teenager in New Zealand has sought compensation and an apology from the organisers of a beauty pageant after she was declared winner but later told she was mistaken for "another Indian girl".
Synthia Nath, 19, participated in the Face of Beauty International and had won the contest for 'Miss Globe International', the New Zealand Herald reported.
Ms Nath claimed that when she called the organisers to find out the details of her prize -- a trip to Turkey next month, she was told to raise USD 3,000 to cover the expenses of her trip.
When Ms Nath told them that that she did not have the money, an organiser said there had been a mistake in announcing the winner. Ms Nath claimed that she was told that she was apparently confused with Loriza Latif, an Indian contestant, which they said was an "honest mistake" because the two girls "look alike".
An organiser told her that "I messed up the name somehow and it was another Indian girl that should have won." Ms Nath, originally from Fiji, said her reputation has been tarnished by the mistake and now she is seeking compensation for the competition entry fee and USD 420 for the 10 tickets she sold.