I have to get some negativity out of the way--I'm frustrated that Mister Supranational has not achieved growth despite delivering consistently high production values with a consistent staging schedule. You would think that with COVID-19 generally in the back-burner of society these days (treated as a copable, manageable disease instead of a life-threatening pandemic), that more countries would be encouraged to field more entries to this pageant and beat the record of 40 back in 2019. Still, we remain stuck at 34 for the past three years, equalling the lowest turnout back in 2017.
There could've been 38 candidates this year, but four who participated in the Suprachats and other pre-arrival activities could not make it for various reasons:
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Jan Carlos Carrasco. He seems a handsome, polished contender who could've been in the mix of Top 20 possibilities, but reportedly had visa issues and hence was prevented from joining the other guys in this pageant.
GHANA - Is-Haq Abubakar. He is notable for his rumbling deep voice during Suprachat, but otherwise he's likely to be an also-ran if he set foot in Poland. He was a no-show, no indication why he could not make it, just like...
NIGERIA - Gideon Anieti Nwawo. He seems to have some polish, so he could've been a Top 20 possibility, but then again if you would read my review of all of this year's candidates, we have a whole bunch of possible contenders that it's tough to figure out who would make it.
SIERRA LEONE - Uthman Issa Bangura. He'll make a distinctive presence with his bleach-blond hairstyle. Otherwise, I feel he'll be an also-ran with this high caliber group.
This year, it looks like we have a highly competitive batch of candidates, with almost 30 of them with conceivable sights of making the Top 20.
ARGENTINA - Giuliano Fessia. In other years, he'll be regarded as a Top 20 possibility. But with this group of guys, he's at most a worthwhile contender.
BELGIUM - Ben Steyaert. He's handsome and a solid communicator, and he had a highlight being shortlisted for Top Model. But in my reckoning, his physique lacks heft and I would consider him one of the weaker links of this batch. But if many of the panel of "Experts" have a mentality that is "modern" (which right-wing types would rather label as "woke"), they might treat this fellow with high regard, as they are likely to prefer males to be sensitive and slender instead of beefy and assertive.
BRAZIL - Henrique Martins. This Olympic swimmer has undeniable charisma in spades. Many pageant fans and pundits consider him one of the front-runners and I totally agree with them. The only question is if the panel of "Experts" are in the mood for someone clean-cut as over this pageant's history thus far, only one clean-cut guy won as the rest are scruffy and swarthy.
CAMBODIA - Sela Vorn. He's actually a quality contender with a cute boyish charm. But he's clearly overshadowed by strong contenders out there, so he's also at most a worthwhile contender with this batch.
CAMEROON - Daniel Mbouda. This lawyer is this year's "black-man-most-likely" as even if I don't consider him conventionally handsome, he has a strong alpha male vibe and charisma that he can make a play for the Top 10 and beyond. He is a Suprachat finalist, but I think other finalists made a stronger impression. He may also have a possible "in" with a Top Three finish in Top Model, though some might argue that KOREA and SPAIN are more compelling and obvious choices. But he seems to be receiving popular buzz so I wouldn't be surprised if he was a Supra-Fan Vote finalist and make the Top 10 via that track.
CANADA - Luis Portelles. It's quite surprising to see a pageant vlogger competing, but well, he does have good looks, good communication skills, and a polished presence. But his key disadvantage is that his physique is not as buffed as most of his peers, and I have a feeling he might need to win Suprachat to secure a Top 20 spot. With his female counterpart surprisingly shut out of the Top 24 last night, I'm fretful that this guy would also be shut out.
CUBA - Richard Acosta. He's a good communicator and a Suprachat finalist. In other years he could be considered a Top 20 shoo-in, but with this caliber of competition, his relatively weak performance in the preliminaries may hamper his mission to bring forth a back-to-back for his country.
CZECH REPUBLIC - Jakub Vitek. I find him highly charismatic and he's a strong communicator. Plus, he proved he can be a bit daring in his style like his unconventional twist in his formal wear presentation where he sported a belt over his jacket. In my reckoning, he could make a play for the Final Five and is a Top 10 shoo-in. But I'm fretting if an upset might also occur with him like what happened to his female counterpart, who was at times considered a possible crown contender but was also surprisingly shut out of the Top 24. I hope that fate won't befell on him as I couldn't see a Top 10 without this guy.
ECUADOR - Bruno Barbieri. If we're looking for the closest guy to the reigning Mister Supranational, Luis Daniel Galvez, I would present this guy, as he has this approachable swarthy handsomeness and a humble vibe. But the twist is he exudes oodles of ravishing sex appeal with his tan complexion and pleasingly trim and buffed physique. He is shortlisted in Talent with his Latin dance skills though during the Talent final I found that he seems to not be able to sustain his energy so I don't foresee him winning that competition. Despite my concerns about his stamina, I still believe he can make a serious play for the Final Five.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA - Vicente Benjamin Roku. He has a tall stature, buffed physique and a likeable vibe. But his facial resemblance to the late comedian Bernie Mac prevents me from considering him a serious contender. He's notable for being the last guy to arrive in Poland, but still his presence is highly welcome.
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FRANCE - Quentin Bourg-Astruy. For those who like a scruffy puppy-dog appeal, we have this guy, who oozes a lot of charm that way. I see him as a Top 20 contender.
COMING UP: GREECE to PANAMA
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