Miss India one of the favourites at Miss World 2003

Ahead of Saturday's grand finale, Miss India Ami Vashi is among the top ten most popular contestants vying for the coveted Miss World 2003 crown.

The current top ten contestants in the People's Choice category in alphabetical order were from Albania, Australia, Brazil, India, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand and Venezuela, according to a report on the official website of the pageant.

Last week 22-year-old Vashi had emerged as one of the favourites of bookies among 106 beauties competing for the Miss World 2003 title to be decided on December 6 in Sanya City in south China.

Besides Vashi, beauties from China, Ireland, Norway, Venezuela and Brazil are also tipped to win the coveted title, according to readabet.com website.

Another website global beauties.com had included Vashi among the top 12 hopefuls out of 106 at the competition.

The official website also announced that four of the five Miss World 2003 fast track finalists have now been selected, with the fifth and final fast track finalist being voted for by a combination of public telephone and web votes.

While Miss Ireland Rosanna Davison was named Miss World Beach Beauty 2003, the Miss World girls' favourite is Miss Bolivia Helen Aponte Saucedo who won the top personality 2003 award.

Miss Georgia Irina Onashvili won the Miss World 2003 talent show with a beautiful song about her hometown, Thblisi.

Miss Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam has fast-tracked to the last 20 of the Miss World 2003 final by winning the Miss Sport competition.

Meanwhile, Jackie Chan, Hollywood's top martial arts star, and 'Sex in the City' writer Candace Bushnell would be among the judges for the Miss world 2003 finals, the website said.