MISS INTERNATIONAL 2022: AT THE HOMESTRETCH (INTRODUCTION & ASIA GROUP)

After a three-year pause due to the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Miss International Beauty Pageant is finally staging its 60th edition.  With the delays, this has made the reigning queen, Sireethorn Leearamwat the longest reigning queen in recent memory, as she has a full three-year reign.

Long-reigning queen:  Miss International 2019 Sireethorn Leeamwarat.

The 60th edition of this pageant seems to be a period of rebuilding after the worst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has passed and remaining deeply steeped in tradition.  After drawing a record 82 delegates in its last edition, this year it's scaled back, ultimately drawing 66 delegates to this edition--its lowest turnout since 2009.*1  The competition format remains largely unchanged from 2018-19, with a preliminary swimsuit and casual wear competition and the rest of the competition (national costume and evening gown) determined during the finals.  There are a couple of fresh new twists, though:  first, this pageant seems to want to emphasize advocacies based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and so there are SDG videos posted on this pageant's nascent YouTube channel.  Then, this year there is a popular vote component as three slots are reserved for popular vote winners representing these three regions:  1) Asia & Oceania; 2) Europe & Africa; and 3) The Americas.

*1 Though it is the third oldest major pageant, in most years it draws the least number of delegates compared to newer upstarts like Miss Earth, Miss Supranational and Miss Grand International.  For instance it only took until 2007 before this pageant hit the 60-delegate threshold with 61 while Miss Earth has been attracting 80 delegates and more since 2005 (and consistently remains to do so until the present). It grew incrementally by two delegates for the next two years, then finally met the 70 thrreshold in 2010.  Its roster then hovered between 67 to 73 from 2011-2017 before ramping up its turnout in 2018 and 2019.  This year, its turnout is lower than Miss Grand International (68) and Miss Supranational (69), and of course Miss Earth (86).

Just like in the previous edition, the delegates would be presented based on continents, though this year it's back to conventional English alphabetical order instead of the quirky reverse order it employed in 2019.  The continents/regions presented are as follows:  Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas.  Without further ado, let's present the Asia group starting with:

CAMBODIA - Charany Chea.  She's cute, but she's one of the shortest delegates in tis batch and is not that polished during the preliminary swimsuit and casual wear rounds.

HONG KONG - Rosemary Ling.  There are some fans buzzing about her swimsuit performance, and she seems to have a tall model's height, which may help her create a streak following the Top 15 placement of her predecessor, Kaye Cheung.

INDIA - Zoya Afroz.  She's very pretty and reportedly a strong speaker.  There are some pageant fans and pundits who feel she can make a play for the Top 15 and even Top Eight, but I'm not that certain about that prospect, but she has been gradually winning me over the more I look at her.

INDONESIA - Cindy May McGuire.  She is reportedly a medical doctor and a strong communicator, but I have issues with her looks and presence as she is clearly overshadowed by other contenders out there and seems to pale with the strong competitors fielded by this rising pageant powerhouse in previous years.  Still, she may have performed enough to make the initial cut.

JAPAN - Kiko Matsuo.  It traditionally is assumed that this country is always guaranteed a slot in this pageant.  But since its win in 2012, this country had a non-placement drought between 2013=2015 before placing again between 2016-2018 and then missing the cut again in 2019.  Could this lady make the cut, or are we in for another possible drought in home soil?  In my opinion, it could go either way, as I don't really find her charismatic enough compared to other contenders out there. 

KOREA - Sujin Kim.  She has the potential to bring her country back to the Top 15 after last placing in 2010, but her performance in the preliminary swimsuit and casual wear competition was lackluster, so its likely this drought might be sustained.

LAOS - Puangtip Malichan.  She looks trim and polished, though I'm torn if her features are appealing enough to the predominantly senior Japanese panel.  But then again, the reigning Miss International has similar features, but I feel the "exotic" vibe she exuded in the preliminary swimsuit was a misfire.

MACAU - Dinelle Wong.  She's polished enough, but she's rather plain to be in serious contention for the Top 15.

MALAYSIA - Giselle Tan.  She's attractive and generally polished, so there is that chance that there might be room for her in the Top 15.

MONGOLIA - Nomin-Erdene Bayarkhuu.  See MACAU, but less slender and more shapely.

NEPAL - Nancy Khadka.  She's cute and has a strong advocacy in her SDG video, but she doesn't seem to be that polished in the preliminary swimsuit and casual wear competition.  

PHILIPPINES - Hannah Arnold.  She is obviously driven to deliver our seventh Miss International crown, and so far she looks totally on-point throughout her stay in Japan.  It's far from certain if she will clinch that win with a few formidable buzzworthy frontrunners out there but I feel she will at least make the "royal court".

SINGAPORE - Scarlett Sim.  As in most years, we don't expect much from this country, and this lady is no different.

TAIWAN - Ting-Yi Cheng.  She has a girl-next-door cuteness, but I don't know if that is enough to impress the predominantly senior Japanese panel of judges.  Still we can peg her as a worthwhile contender.

THAILAND - Ruechanok Meesang.  She seems polished, but I find her facial features to be very plain.  There are some fans who are hyping she can at least place in the Top 15 but I'm not as bullish as those other fans.

UZBEKISTAN - Nigina Fakhriddinova.  She is attractive, but she has a major disadvantage--her figure is on the zaftig side, and the predominantly senior Japanese panel are similar to Miss Grand International's Nawat Itsragrisil that they prefer slimmer frames over voluptuous ones like hers.

VIETNAM - Phạm Ngọc Phương Anh.  She seems to be leading the poll for this region and hence is likely to secure a spot in the Top 15 by that path.  But I think she is worthy of making the cut by her own merit, as she's attractive, trim, polished, and reportedly could speak English.  She can make a serious play for the Top Eight in my reckoning and is our country's biggest threat in being the top Asian performer this year.

COMING UP:  DELEGATES from AFRICA and OCEANIA