With Pradit Pradinunt's takeover of the organization, they left no stone unturned generating publicity for the 2023 edition, declaring the launch of a "New Era". And the caliber of the contestants this batch seemed to be of a high quality, further spurring excitement amongst the pageant fandom. Ultimately, 36 showed up in Thailand, and were treated to a cultural immersion with a four-day sojourn in the historical capital of Ayutthaya before returning back to Bangkok. I also noticed a couple of innovative fashion segments were staged--first a show featuring the candidates sporting wardrobe designed from their own countries with the theme of reflecting that country's culture; I almost thought that they are ditching the national costume competition for this, but it turned out there is still a national cosume competition held during the preliminaries. Then during the preliminaries, the formal wear round was not Western-style as it was in years past, but actually Thai-style, which seems to be almost similar to soldiers' uniforms in the late-19th/early-20th century, wit the top either a long-sleeved silk tunic or a Western-style-style-jacket-and-formal-shirt ensemble with loose/billowing pants that were tapered off either with boots or knee-high socks. It's a well-executed concept, I have to admit, and hence I salute these innovations.
There could have been 38 competing instead of 36, but MALI (Haround Sissoko) and NETHERLANDS (Ilyas Chaouki) backed out and never set foot in Thailand. For MALI it might either be a visa issue or lack of sponsorship or resources to fly to compete, with for the NETHERLANDS it seems to be a change in franchise, and this contestant is set to compete in Manuel Deldio's The Mister International competition instead.
I did mention that the quality of this year's contestants are of a high caliber. But is it a Magnificent Batch like last year? Let's see as we evaluate all the candidates starting with...
BELGIUM - Maksym Belvych. He's actually of Ukrainian heritage (whether he migrated there because of the ongoing Russian invasion or way prior to that, it's not that clear to me, but it seems it's the latter). He's not what one would think of a typical Mister International hunk, but he's attractive enough and because of his profession as an actor/dancer, he's usually the first one busting a move on the dancefloor. If the powers that be are in the mood for someone less conventional-looking, and if there is still a lot of sympathy toward the situation in Ukraine, he might make the cut.
BRAZIL - Edward Taiye Ogunniya. His name seems to indicate he has African heritage, perhaps West African like Nigeria. Besides his dusky complexion, he also sports dreadlocks that he ties into a bun. He exudes the vibe of an alluringly sexy beach guy on the shores of perhaps Ipanema, but he does exude class and sophistication when he opens his mouth as he reveals he's well-traveled and is very fluent in English. His choice of national costume also shows he can channel cosmopolitan sophistication as instead of a Carnival costume he sported a 1920s style suit in homage to a famous Brazilian writer. He looks like a lock for the Top 10, and is THE "black-man-most-likely" in this group, but I can see another one like him advancing.
CANADA - Rennel Ricketts. His very Western name belies the fact that he's of South Indian heritage. He seems to have good communication skills and an intelligent background with his profession working in quality inspector for a manufacturing firm. He's appealing in my eyes, but he's overshadowed by more charismatic contenders out there.
COLOMBIA - Daniel Alejandro Garcia. He's the epitome of Classic Latino Handsomeness (CLH) as he is fair-skinned and clean-shaven. He is also buffed and speaks good English, so I think he is guaranteed of making the cut and make a play for the Top 10.
CUBA - Daruma Almenares. He almost qualifies as a CLH but he has scruff that from time to time he tries to shave down but could never manage to completely shave off. He's highly appealing so I'm bullish that he'll continue his country's streak, though I don't foresee him making further to the Top 10 unlike his predecessor, Isko Moreno Rubert Manuel Arias.
CZECH REPUBLIC - Alexandros Panayi. This handsome swarthy guy has a Greek name because his father is Greek Cypriot (his mother is Czech). Though he has a profession as a dentist, he is actually renowned in social media for his dancing skills, in particular fast-paced shuffling. With his brother Stefanos (who also competed in their national pageant and is now designated to compete in the Man of the Year contest) they form the Shuflling Bros and light up Instagram and TikTok with their syncopated choreography. He looks like a Top 20 shoo-in with a possible play for the Top 10.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Ovarlyn Torres. He is the guy with the heaviest beard in this group. He's a great follow-up to the reigning titleholder, Manu Franco, and seems a lock for the Top 20 though I don't foresee him finishing as high as his predecessor did (but then again, I pegged Manu as a "Bubbling Under" choice instead of a crown contender as I thought his relatively short stature would be a disadvantage)
FRANCE - Lucas Schlachter. His name may sound German instead of French, and it is for a good reason--he comes from the department of Lorraine, part of the Alsace-Lorraine region that the Germans annexed from 1870-1918. There are some pageant fans and pundits who rave about this guy's handsomeness. But to my eyes, even if he's handsome he doesn't seem to exude a strong charisma and his communication skills seem limited. I see him making Top 20 at most but no further.
GUINEA-BISSAU - Gabriel Monteiro. Of the black contestants this year, he has the deepest ebony complexion. He's the next "black-man-most-likely" after BRAZIL, and some are buzzing he can make a play for the Top 10, as he does have great charisma and is a good communicator, He seems to know how to speak three languages--English, Portuguese, and French. English, probably because he's well-travelled. Portuguese because that's the official language from his country of origin. Now, for French--It's interesting to note that when he arrived in Thailand, he carried a Suisse-Francophonie sash as he was a runner-up in that pageant, and he got to represent his country of origin thanks to the Suisse-Francophonie franchise and not because there is a direct franchise holder from the country he's representing. I have this gnawing feeling we got our Albanian representative last year via the same path.
HAITI - Samuel Saint Juste. He's the last person to arrive and he missed the initial swimwear competition. I noticed a couple of things about him--his Instagram profile emphasize his profession as a dancer (ballet and contemporary, it seems); and his mannerisms and speech patterns made me think he's the hands-down winner of the Sy Lee Fabulousness Award--some pageant wags might have wanted to peg that designation to one big favorite in this pageant, but this guy easily makes that favorite look like a stereotypically macho redneck lumberjack.
INDIA - Shashwat Dwivedi. He is of the same mold as his predecessor, Lukanand Kshetrimayum, (initially 1st runner-up but elevated as the reigning titleholder for the "other" Mister International pageant) though with slightly less eloquent communication skills. I don't see him equaling the feat of his predecessor, but he is a Top 20 shoo-in with a serious play for the Top 10.
INDONESIA - Jeremy Gregory Samatara. He's polished, fair-skinned, and beefy, but his facial features are on the plain side, so I don't see his Top 20 prospects as a lock.
COMING UP: JAPAN to PHILIPPINES
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