MISS INTERNATIONAL 2023 "FEARFUL" FORECAST

 

Because Miss Grand International's finals was being staged merely a day before the Miss International finals, I didn't have time or energy to do a full-blown homestretch review, so I am only doing this "Fearful" Forecast and then do a full-fledged delegates' review after the coronation (and this time I vow to fulfill my promise).  That being said, you can always rely this pageant to provide an immersive cultural experience for the delegates as they do a grand tour of traditional cultural attractions in Japan, like Niigata, Kamakura, and others.  They continue with the requirement for the delegates to submit Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) videos that showcase the contestants' advocacies and this year, we are treated to glossy Victoria's Secret-style photoshoots and are prompt in releasing them to the public.  There's even glossy introduction videos in that style which you can access via Instagram or Facebook.  Like last year, three of the Top 15 slots would be decided by popular vote--the winner for each region (Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe/Africa) would have a fast-track ticket to te semifinal--this actually explained the breakthrough enjoyed by Northern Marianas last year, as somehow she was able to drum up fan support to garner her slot.  Like in the three most recent editions (2018, 2019 and 2022), there is a preliminary competition--this time instead of street fashion, they now feature an actual interview round (though it's basically structured as a single question which the delegate would then give a speech about) with the delegates clad in interview-appropriate wardrobe, then the swimsuit competition.  So for the grand final, expect them to follow last year's format of all delegates appearing in national costumes and evening gowns, then the Top 15 who will then parade in swimsuits and evening gown.  But this year, they reduce the finalist roster from eight to seven, and from there the five-member royal court would be decided.

There were 73 delegates initially confirmed, which could've made it the 3rd highest rurnout in a tie with the 2014 edition, but unfortunately three delegates could not show up.  This reduces the roster to 70, which is still a high turnout, a tie for 4th alongside 2010 and 2015.  So who were the three withdrawals/no-shows?

ALBANIA - Birgitte Pitarki.  Based on her submitted coronation photo, she registers as someone who has heavy cosmetic procedures done.  I know the predominantly Japanese judges would prefer more natural-looking ladies.

SOMALIA - Iqra Ahmed Hassan.  She would've made an auspicious debut for her country and also being the first delegate wearing a hijab.  With the presence of BANGLADESH in this competition, they would no doubt make some accommodations for her when it comes to the swimsuit round to suit her community's modesty standards.  I have a feeling she would've been a sensation and maybe block out COTE D'IVOIRE's Top 15 prospects in the process.

UKRAINE - Sofia Zghroba.  This 18-year-old brunette ingenue is the last one to withdraw as they seemed to be waiting for her, but in the end, she's a no-show.  She has a very pretty face, but I'm not sure if she has polished catwalk skills to make an impact.

It's interesting among the 70 delegates actually competing, the country of the reigning winner, Jasmin Selberg, is absent--GERMANY somehow did not field a delegate this year.  Is this a reflection that for most European franchises, delegates have to rely on their own to get the support that they needed?  I suppose a consolation is that a country that rarely appears in this pageant, ESTONIA, is competing this time--Jasmin is half-Estonian.  

Now, let me trot out my leaderboard:

TOP CONTENDERS:  COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, NEW ZEALAND, VENEZUELA

SHOO-INS:  COTE D'IVOIRE, CZECH REPUBLIC, PARAGUAY, PERU, PHILIPPINES, PUERTO RICO, THAILAND, 

LIKELIEST:  ANGOLA, BELGIUM, CAMBODIA, CANADA, CHILE, COSTA RICA, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, ESTONIA, FINLAND, GREECE, GUATEMALA, INDIA, INDONESIA, JAMAICA, JAPAN,  LAOS, MEXICO, MOLDOVA, MONGOLIA, NEPAL, NETHERLANDS, NICARAGUA, NIGERIA, PANAMA, POLAND, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, TAIWAN, UNITED KINGDOM, U S A, VIETNAM, ZIMBABWE

POPULAR VOTE FACTOR:  BANGLADESH, FRANCE, TUNISIA

EXCELLENT:  AUSTRALIA, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, HONG KONG, KOREA, LITHUANIA, MACAU, MALAYSIA, MARTINIQUE, MYANMAR, PAKISTAN, SERBIA, 

VERY STRONG:  GHANA, HAWAII, LESOTHO, MAURITIUS, SINGAPORE, SRI LANKA, UGANDA, 

STRONG:  NORWAY, PORTUGAL

And here is my "Fearful" Forecast:

FINAL FIVE:  COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, NEW ZEALAND, PHILIPPINES, VENEZUELA

FINAL SEVEN:  COTE D'IVOIRE, THAILAND,

TOP 15:  CZECH REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, ESTONIA, MEXICO, PARAGUAY, PERU, PUERTO RICO, U S A

BUBBLING UNDER:  ANGOLA, BELGIUM, CAMBODIA, CANADA, CHILE, COSTA RICA, ECUADOR, FINLAND, GREECE, GUATEMALA, INDIA, INDONESIA, JAMAICA, JAPAN,  LAOS, MEXICO, MOLDOVA, MONGOLIA, NEPAL, NETHERLANDS, NICARAGUA, NIGERIA, PANAMA, POLAND, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, TAIWAN, UNITED KINGDOM, VIETNAM, ZIMBABWE

STRIKING DISTANCE:  AUSTRALIA, BANGLADESH, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, FRANCE, HONG KONG, KOREA, LITHUANIA, MACAU, MALAYSIA, MARTINIQUE, MYANMAR, PAKISTAN, SERBIA, TUNISIA

It seems like it's a four-way battle for the crown, with COLOMBIA (Sofia Osío) looking poised to bring forth her country's 4th crown, to break out of a six-way tie for 3rd place in terms of most crowns won. but do not count out VENEZUELA (Andrea Rubio) in their attempt to extend their status as the winningest country in this pageant, or NEW ZEALAND (Georgia Waddington) giving her country its 2nd win after 52 years, or DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (Yamilex Hernandez) delivering her country its first win.  But then there might be an out-of-left-field surprise underway, like last year.  For those who have the stamina, let's watch it all unfold this afternoon.

JUST ME!

JOSEPH

Would the Miss International crown go to these two pageant powerhouses?  L-R:  COLOMBIA (Sofia Osío) and VENEZUELA (Andrea Rubio)

Or to these two less-heralded countries?  L-R:  DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (Yamilex Hernandez) and NEW ZEALAND (Georgia Waddington) 

MISS GRAND INTERNATIONAL 2023: AT THE HOMESTRETCH (CONCLUSION)

 

SPAIN - Celia Sevilla.  Though I'm not familiar with the other pageants she competed in, she declared herself as an experienced pageant veteran, and it does show with her polished presentations all throughout all the way to the Preliminary Competition.  She also has a gorgeous face and strong communication skills, so it looks like she has an inside track to the Top 20.

SWITZERLAND - Marine Sayard.  This brunette is on the plain side and she is a raw interview and a less-than-polished presence onstage.  It will be an uphill battle er to make any inroads into the Top 20.

TAIWAN - Erica Xiao Ting.  See HONG KONG, but with a plainer face and slightly more polished stage chops.

THAILAND - Thawwporn Phingchamrat.  She[s actually a complete package of great looks, charisma, intelligence, communciation skills, and stage presence, so it's not surprising she's making a stellar impression.  Now, some might criticize her performance during the Preliminary Competition as they felt she turned up the sex factor a bit too high, but I feel she still made a standout impression and is likely to secure her Top 20 finish.  But it's turning out to be a brutal bloodbath for her to secure a Top 10 finish.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - Rebekah Hislop.  I find her a tad plain and less-than-polished in all aspects.  Not helping matters is that during the Preliminary competition she registers more like a 50-year-old matron than her actual age of 28.

TÛRKIYE - Beyhan Kubra.  She's not as polished as other contenders but I'm surprised in the closed door interview that Nawat and Teresa devoted a huge amount of interview time chatting with her, in particular places to visit in her country and the fact that her country straddles both Europe and Asia.  Take note that she was included in the Asian group instead of European as would likely be the convention for other major pageants.  Though most of the major city of Istanbul where this lady is from is on the European side, the city itself is split across both continents as it straddles across the Bosporus Strait.

UKRAINE - Yulia Klimenko.  This comely brunette is also a complete package and delivered a convincing performance in the Preliminary Competition that she seems to have an inside track to the Top 20.

UNITED KINGDOM - Chloe Ellman Baker.  She's a strong speaker and a polished performer so she is performing at a high level that is making her a Top 20 possibility.  If this were a less-competitive batch, she would've made more serious inroads.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - Sthepanie Miranda.  She's a Latina with some black mixed in, which explains her mocha complexion and huge wavy hair.  She was a Miss USA Top 16 semifinalist back in 2020 representing Ohio, then because she was actually born in Puerto Rico she tried out for Miss Universe Puerto Rico were she ended in the Top Five, and now won Miss Grand USA and here she is, and she is firing on all cylinders that she is another of the major crown contenders.  It seems Final Five is a lock for her, so the question is how high will she finish and can she win it all to deliver a 2nd crown for her country?

U. S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - Heather Marie Thompson.  She was actually born and raised in the Continental United States (in particular, New York), but it seems flexible residency policies in the US territory allowed this Caucasian lady to represent what is normally a predominantly black Caribbean territory.  She's polished on all aspects so she can be a Top 20 possibility.

UZBEKISTAN - Amaliya Shakirova.  This model with significant training here in this country is making a great impression in all aspects, that she has an inside track into the Top 20.

VENEZUELA - Valentina Martinez.  We do expect this powerhouse country to perform at a high level and this lady is no exception.  However, seeing her as a Top 20 shoo-in, that's a big question as this year is loaded with fierce performers, and although she is keeping toe-to-toe with the best of them, there are just too many of them that her Top 20 placement is far from secure.

VIETNAM - Lê Hoàng Phương.  The host candidate is making a splashy impression and is covering all bases.  She seems to be on-track to finish in the Top 10, but the competition is very fierce for those limited slots.

With all 69 candidates accounted for, let me trot out my leaderboard:

TOP CONTENDERS:  ANGOLA, COLOMBIA, INDONESIA, MYANMAR, PERU, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

SHOO-INS:  CZECH REPUBLIC, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, NETHERLANDS, NIGERIA, PHILIPPINES, THAILAND, UZBEKISTAN, VIETNAM

LIKELIEST:  AUSTRALIA, BELGIUM, BRAZIL, CANADA, COSTA RICA, GERMANY, GIBRALTAR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, INDIA, LAOS, MALAYSIA, MEXICO, NICARAGUA, PARAGUAY, PUERTO RICO, RUSSIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, UKRAINE, UNITED KINGDOM,  U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, VENEZUELA

PERSONALITY FACTOR:  GHANA

EXCELLENT: ARGENTINA, BELARUS, BOLIVIA, BONAIRE, CHILE, CUBA, DENMARK, FRANCE, IRELAND, ITALY, PANAMA, ROMANIA, TÜRKIYE, 

VERY STRONG:  ALBANIA, CAMBODIA, ECUADOR, EGYPT, EL SALVADOR, GREECE, HAITI, JAPAN, KOREA, NEPAL, POLAND, SEYCHELLES, SINGAPORE, SWITZERLAND, 

STRONG:  HONG KONG, TAIWAN, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Here is my "Fearful" Forecast:

FINAL FIVE:  ANGOLA, COLOMBIA, INDONESIA, MYANMAR, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TOP 10:  CZECH REPUBLIC, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, NIGERIA, PERU, VIETNAM

TOP 20:  CANADA, HONDURAS, INDIA, NETHERLANDS, PHILIPPINES, PUERTO RICO, SPAIN, THAILAND,  UKRAINE, UZBEKISTAN

BUBBLING UNDER:  AUSTRALIA, BELGIUM, BRAZIL, COSTA RICA, GERMANY, GIBRALTAR, GUATEMALA, LAOS, MALAYSIA, MEXICO, NICARAGUA, PARAGUAY, RUSSIA, SOUTH AFRICA, UNITED KINGDOM,  U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, VENEZUELA

STRIKING DISTANCE:  ARGENTINA, BELARUS, BOLIVIA, BONAIRE, CHILE, CUBA, DENMARK, FRANCE, GHANA, IRELAND, ITALY, PANAMA, ROMANIA, TÜRKIYE

It looks like a six-way race for the crown, with COLOMBIA (Maria Fernanda Lopez) having the slight edge to win it all.  But still, don't count out the petite fellow Latina from neighboring PERU (Luciana Fuster), or it could be the dusky Afro-Latina from the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Sthephenie Miranda) or an Asian like INDONESIA (Ritassya Wellgreat) or MYANMAR (Ni Ni Lin EEain), or the shaven-head African from ANGOLA (Eugenia das Neves).  And if you think the race for the crown is brutal, the race for the Top 10 slots is equally as brutal as 14 ladies are fiercely fighting for those 10 slots.  I see a very exciting contest underway.

JUST ME!

JOSEPH

The major crown contenders, Top from L-R:  ANGOLA (Eugenia das Neves), COLOMIA (Maria Alejandra Lopez), INDONESIA (

MISS GRAND INTERNATIONAL 2023: AT THE HOMESTRETCH (PART 4)

 

NETHERLANDS - Melissa Bottema.  She makes a distinctive presence possessing arguably the prettiest face in this batch with her stunning long jet-black tresses parted in the middle.  She made me think of a cross between Morticia Addams*6 and 1970s-era Cher if they have the facial features of an ethereal transcendent angel, and that is precisely what she channeled during the Preliminary Competition. She's also a superb communicator, so many are buzzing she has an inside track into the Top 10--but I found out the race for the Top 10 is very crowded this year... 

*6  I'm thinking in terms of the cartoons as originally created by Charles Addams and when Anjelica Huston played the role in the 1990s movie version.  I know she's played by gorgeous actresses Carolyn Jones in the 1960s TV series and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the mega-hit Netflix series Wednesday.

NICARAGUA - Glennys Medina.  She's a bright and effusive talker with strong stage chops, so it's possible that a Top 20 slot could be made available for her.

NIGERIA - Boma Dokubo.  She's very much like ANGOLA, though a differentiation is made in the Preliminary Competition as ANGOLA brought a lot of drama in her evening gown presentation while this lady opted for a more subdued presence.  I see her still making a serious play for the Top 10 though I've noticed many pageant fans and pundits would relegate her simply in the Top 20.

PANAMA - Julia Leong.  See CHILE and CUBA, though a tad less charismatic than either of them.

PARAGUAY - Maelia Salcines.  She created a great early impression as she displayed strong communication skills and she has a pretty face.  But I'm not that convinced that her stage chops are as superb as other fans are hyping about.  In the Preliminary Competition, for instance, I'm underwhelmed by her gown choice.  So, even if some regard her as a Top 20 shoo-in, I have my reservations even if undeniably she is competing at a high level.

PERU - Luciana Fuster.  She is one of the shorter candidates in this batch, but she is performing at a stratified level that many are buzzing she's a possible crown contender.  For me she evokes beach-y vibethat you associate with sexy ladies from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil*7, but with a bright, talkative vibe.  She admitted she has an existing contract with a radio station as she's a radio DJ back home, but she notes that there is enough flexibility in her ongoing contract to be able to perform her duties if she is chosen as one of the winners.  Still, I have a feeling Nawat and co. may have reservations handing this country its second Miss Grand crown because of that contract, but many are still rooting for her to go far and maybe get the crown.

*7 Though if you know your geography, you would realize that Peru's coasts face an ocean opposite to Brazil's, as Peru faces the Pacific while Brazil faces the atlantic.

PHILIPPINES - Nikki de Moura.  After winning her national pageant, many Filipino pageant fans and pundits are hyping this half-Brazilian lady as the one who can finally clinch that win for our country.  However, when she set foot in Vietnam, though this lady is still making a standout impression, attention seems more focused towards four Southeast Asian ladies:  INDONESIA, MYANMAR, THAILAND, and host country VIETNAM.that it seems she's overshadowed and even possibly her Top 20 chances are in jeopardy.  But she still continued to compete at a convincingly high level, and demonstrated she's an excellent communicator, and made a convincing case for herself in the Preliminary Competition by channeling Beyoncé especially during the evening gown round.  Of course the big favorites also delivered that night, so if we follow Nawat's original policy of "Final Five or Nothing" for us, this lady may be considered a shock boot, but I'm optimistic she'll be like her predecessor, Roberta Tamondong*8 who managed to make the cut even if not finishing in the Final Five.

*8 Roberta made the Top 20 last year and missed making the Top 10.  However, after the pageant, the Top 10 finisher from Mauritius decided to decline the responsibilities accorded to the 5th runner-up, and the slot is offered to her.  And Roberta embraced the responsibilities with aplomb, to the point that she is now promoted to go-to presenter for the various events staged by this pageant, and she's most likely going to the host for tonight's Grand Final.  And sha has so far been doing an excellent job as host.

POLAND - Kornelia Goleblewska.  This blonde is good-looking, but she's a weak, verbose interview, and even if her stage skills are solid, she cannot make as big a splash as the standouts out there.

PUERTO RICO - Maria Cristina Ramos.  She is also well-regarded by many pageant fans and pundits and is a proven stage dynamo.  But I'm not that impressed with her in her interview, though reportedly she was one of the 13 who got an extra audience with Nawat, Teresa, and Isabella.  She looks like she has an inside track to the Top 20.

ROMANIA - Denisse Vivienne Andor.  She's a good communicator and has solid stage chops and mentioned she's already a veteran of various pageants, but I feel she is delivering more on a P.A.T.I.S. level, just like CHILE, CUBA, and PANAMA.

RUSSIA - Anastasiia Volkonskaia.  During the two rounds of fashion shows and swimsuit events, she strikes a fierce "Blue Steel" look that for me, made her features look more like a youthful Jocelyn Wildestein hunting for a wealthy (possibly oligarch) sugar daddy.  But I warmed up to her during the closed door interview as she exudes a sympathetic, likeable personality, and she flashed natural smiles during the Preliminary Competition which actually made her look prettier, so she is emerging as a Top 20 possibility.

SEYCHELLES - Shaniah Dick.  It seems she's conceived at the time Shania Twain released her hit album Up! hence her parents named her as such (though they added an "h" at the end to remind people that her name rhymes with "Mariah").  She facially reminds me of Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson, though even as pretty as Quinta's features are, it's not the sort that reads as a charismatic beauty queen.  She's a solid communicator but her stage chops were obviously raw, so it's difficult for her to make serious inroads into the finals.  At least we appreciate to see this country debut in this pageant.

SINGAPORE - Jiahui Jade Woo.  In therms of stage skills, she's one of the weakest, but like MALAYSIA she proved to be a great communicator.

SOUTH AFRICA - Gugulethu Mayisela.  She is a very thoughtful, intelligent, and articulate lady who displays a maturity that belie her 19 years of age.  She's actually also a polished competitor, but she didn't quite make a convincing impact during the Preliminary Competition that I'm fretful if there is room for a third African, she would not be the one to get it.

COMING UP:  SPAIN to VIETNAM plus the "FEARFUL" FORECAST

MISS GRAND INTERNATIONAL 2023: AT THE HOMESTRETCH (PART 3)

 

HONDURAS - Britthany Marroquín.  She is consistently performing at a high level in all aspects,s o she can be another Top 20 possibility amongst many.

HONG KONG - Ada Lo Tan Tan.  Unlike what she thought, when she spoke at the closed-door interview, I find her face attractive and cute, not homely at all.  However she is obviously raw in all aspects, and hence this makes her a cellar-dweller in this batch.

INDIA - Arshina Sumbul.  She's very polished and covers all bases all throughout so it seems a Top 20 slot is assured for her.  But it will be tough securing a Top 10 slot as the competition is fierce.

INDONESIA - Ritassya Wellgreat.  The Southeast Asian contingent proved to be a hotbed for stellar performers like this lady, who got a significant amount of her peers voting for her as their choice of winner (5).  And it's clear why she's considered a top contender--she has great communication skills, great charisma and strong stage presence.  She also got tons of fan support, as she's currently leading the popular vote, which gives the winner an automatic ticket to the Top 10.  In previous years, this typically goes to someone who didn't initially make the Top 20, but I feel this time it will go to a favorite who would secure that Top 10 spot on her own otherwise.  She seems to be one of the ladies making a serious play for the Final Five, perhaps even winning it all.

IRELAND - Rachel Stawson.  She's a good-looking, reasonably polished competitor who positions herself as the LGBTQ+ candidate, and the one with Jewish heritage (relevant for the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict).  I'm not sure if that positioning would be enough to secure her a slot in the Top 20, as for most part she is clearly overshadowed onstage by the fiercer divas out there..  

ITALY - Andrea Zanettin.  We learned in the interview that she's actually Venezuelan who happened to have an Italian father.  She spent most of her life in Venezuela, then the US and it seems it's only recently that she is residing in the country of her father's heritage.  This explains why she's a polished stage contender and she makes a worthwhile impression.

JAPAN - Yayoi Machida.  She created the most jaw-dropping moment in the interview round when she disclosed that she invented a sex toy.  This fact seemed to amuse Nawat and Teresa, and they discussed that little tidbit a little bit more.  She is an energetic presence onstage and even though I find her looks and presentation below par from what is being delivered from her peers, that unforgettable tidbit might give her a ticket to the Top 20.

KOREA - Park Ji-Young.  In Korean pop culture, there is this archetype called aegyo (pronounced egg-yo), a girl with very girlish sensibilities and childlike, almost baby-ish mannerisms.  This lady seems to be assuming that persona especially during the Preliminary Competition.  I'm not sure if that positioning would work in this milieu as this pageant tends to favor fierce catwalk divas.  Even her communication skills is not as strong as the fiercer divas out there, so her only asset is her pretty face.

KOSOVO - Rinesa Murat.  She's a pretty blonde with a less-than-polished stage skills, so making the Top 20 will be an uphill battle for her.

LAOS - Phetmany Philakhong.  To be honest, I found her interview underwhelming, but it seem she was one of the 13 who got extra private interview time with Nawat, Teresa and the reigning queen Isabella Menin.  I don't know if that means she can also secure a Top 20 slot, but I'm more certain on how she delivered onstage as she's golden there.  We all know how powerful INDONESIA, MYANMAR, PHILIPPINES, THAILAND, and VIETNAM are this year, so I wonder if there is room for this lady in the Top 20.

MALAYSIA - Kash Bhullar.  She's attractive and her stage chops are solid, but her strongest quality is her communication skills, but would those skills be enough to overcome a less-than-remarkable stage presence?.

MEXICO - Maria Fernanda Beltrán.  She's a pretty lady with great communication skills and she's no slouch onstage.  However, despite her efforts, she hasn't been receiving much buzz so it might be a struggle for her to enter the Top 20, when in other years she would've been a shoo-in.

MYANMAR - Ni Ni Lin Eain.  She is anoter candidate who received a significant number of mentions in the straw poll conducted by Nawat on who the candidates think should win the title besides themselves.  She got seven votes, making her second behind the leader COLOMBIA.  She's a surprisingly strong communicator, but of course what made her a crown contender are her gorgeous looks, strong charisma, and superb stage presence.  Could she bring forth her country's first victory in a major international pageant?

NEPAL - Gatima Ghimire.  Normally we can count on this country to deliver strong speakers with strong advocacies to promote, but though this lady still does have strong advocacies, she couldn't quite communicate as strongly, and her stage skills are average at best, so it will be an uphill battle for her to make the Top 20. 

COMING UP:  NETHERLANDS to SOUTH AFRICA

MISS GRAND INTERNATIONAL 2023: AT THE HOMESTRETCH (PART 2)

 

CUBA - Sofía Acosta. See CHILE, though she's a stronger communicator.

CZECH REPUBLIC - Sophia Osako.  Here is the third member of the PLBI club, and to my eyes is the one who is likely to break through and secure a Top 20 slot.  She's a singer/recording artist who has built rapport with Nawat and co. and she has oodles of charisma that she delivered in the Preliminary Competition, so she's likely to secure a Top 20 spot and possibly make a play for the Top 10.

DENMARK - Sille Albertsen.  This comely blonde is reasonably polished, but is overshadowed by more stellar, driven contenders out there.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Skarxi Marte.  She may have had a mishap in the first swimsuit competition*4 staged outdoors in Da Nang, as the beach was hit by thunderstorms and they were still forced to navigate the slippery catwalk, but otherwise she's a top-notch contender firing on all cylinders.  I see her as a Top 10 shoo-in, with a play for a slot in the Final Five.

ECUADOR - Andrea Ojeda.  I'm not fond at all at her facial features--she looked like a lady who either is in the middle of recovering from a plastic surgery procedure (think some recent photos of Madonna prior to her Celebration tour), or is one who have had too many said procedures and could not get enough (a la Jocelyn Wildenstein).  But I have this gnawing feeling that those are her actual natural features (but then again, Latina beauty queens are notorious for having cosmetic procedures done).  But despite my misgivings about her facial features, I have to concede she is a solid performer.  But if I had my way, there is no way in hell she should make it in the Top 20.

EGYPT - Mariam Khatab.  She has a gorgeous Mediterranean face, but she has this full figure that Nawat notoriously frowns upon.  Not helping matters is that she's not as polished as other contenders out there and is a weak communicator.

EL SALVADOR - Fátima Calderón.  With this highly competitive and driven bunch she's not making any impact at all.

FRANCE - Clemence Drouhaud.  She's very comely and reasonably polished, but like DENMARK, is overshadowed by other very driven candidates out there.

GERMANY - Marie Tavitha Kilonzo.  Her dusky features are due to the fact her father is Kenyan.  Besides standing out with her mocha complexion (and her resemblance to the late Glee star Naya Rivera), she also has this prominent arm-sleeve tattoo.  She is actually a very strong contender with a possible play for a Top 20 slot--she's a strong communicator, and she has strong catwalk skills that can compensate for lack of resources like having to wear a plain, off-the-rack yellow gown during the Preliminary Competition.  She's also a finalist for the Grand Voice Award, so she could possibly secure a Top 20 slot via that path, but then she has to contend with...

GHANA - Kilaya-Yvettlana Fosuwa Amankwaa.  In the closed-door interview she emerges as a fun, vibrant personality, and she showed off her singing abilities whenever she can, as she's actually opera-trained.  In fact, she is making a meme-able impression when she introduced herself during the Preliminary Competition by operatically singing her country's name.  She looks like the winner of the Grand Voice Award--if this is a fast-track slot to the Top 20, she is likely going to be the third African in the group.

GIBRALTAR - Jaylynn Cruz.  She is performing at a level worthy of being a Top 20 semifinalist in a less competitive year.  But with this group, if she makes it she will be considered a "refreshing" choice.

GREECE - Loanna Skoula.  She obviously was not given much preparation for her stint in this pageant, as she's raw in all aspects.  Which is such a shame as she's actually gorgeous--yes, she might be too voluptuous for Nawat's tastes, but with proper coaching and polish she can parlay her voluptuous frame to major heights.  I think she will be a perfect pinup for many heterosexual men's dreams, and she's the winner of the BB Sweepstakes*5 in this pageant.

*5 For those unfamiliar with my terminology, this is accorded to the lady with, let's say, the most prominent two frontal assets.  Think Dolly Parton.

GUATEMALA - Raschel Paz.  Wonder why she's missing in the second fashion event?  Because otherwise she's performing at a stellar level--she's a great communicator, has top-notch stage chops that she delivered during the Preliminary Competition.  I may not find her conventionally pretty, but I find her biracial background intriguing--in the swimsuit events she let her hair go wild and wavy, but in more formal appearances she keeps her hair straight.  She is a strong Top 20 possibility.

HAITI - Isnaida Compére.  If this were Miss World or Miss Supranational, her brand of very African features may have exotic appeal.  But in this milieu, she ranks low in the looks department.  She's generally a solid performer, but again, it's an uphill battle for her to get a Top 20 slot.

COMING UP:  HONDURAS to NEPAL

MISS GRAND INTERNATIONAL 2023: AT THE HOMESTRETCH (PART 1)

 

If you think last year's 10th anniversary of Miss Grand International in Indonesia was  very aptly grandiose, this year's edition is arguably exceeding it.  The Vietnamese sponsors and organizers have wasted no expense filling out a jampacked itinerary of events that included a tour that span the entire length of the country, from the capital Hanoi in the north, to fashion events in the central portion in Hue (pronounced Hway) to finally culminationg with the preliminary competition and final coronation in Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a., the city formerly known as Saigon) in the south.  There is a whole host of gala dinners, fashion shows, swimsuit parades, and they also added this competition called Grand Voice Award, which is basically a karaoke singing contest.  Why add a singing contest?  It seems part of this year's duties for the entire Top 10 of tis pageant would include a music concert held at Phuket, Thailand.  And they also insist the Top 10 will have to stay in Southeast Asia until the end of this year if they were chosen. 

This probably explain why during the closed-door interview (which was streamed on Facebook and saved by Qrown Philippines on YouTube split into 8 parts) the vice president Teresa Chaivisut asked the candidates if they have any ongoing contracts, and most of them answered no or if they have any (like PERU), it won't be a hindrance to their duties if they were chosen as one of the winners.  They also asked if they have boyfriends or girlfriends, too, probably for the same reasons.

Anyway, we have to hand it to this organization for their generosity in providing material for pageant fans to latch on to--all activities are documented and covered, and pictures are released in a timely manner.  The supposedly bigger and more prestigious pageants like Miss Universe and Miss World are skimpy in coverage in comparison.  In that way, pageant website Global Beauties was justified in awarding this pageant as pageant of the year for the previous year, 2022 (and probably in the running to win again for this year) and awarding the reigning queen Isabella Menin as Miss Grand Slam.  And, yes, the website owner, Henrique Fontes delivered these awards to the pageant president, Nawat Itsaragrisil and it was announced live at the end of the Preliminary Competition.

There were 72 confirmed candidates, but three countries had to back out for various reasons.  EQUATORIAL GUINEA seems to be unable to field a rep on time, SOUTH SUDAN (Amylia Deng) may have had issues either with travel arrangements or national director support and SRI LANKA (Sayuri Jayathne) had a death in the family that initially they would provide some time but still allow her to compete but ultimately she confirmed her withdrawal on October 6.  If these ladies made it, SOUTH SUDAN could've muddled an already highly competitive mix of ladies, while SRI LANKA will probably be a worthwhile contender, at most.

Two of the three withdrawals:  SOUTH SUDAN (Amylia Deng) and SRI LANKA (Sayuri Jayathne)

This means we have 69 candidates this year, still below the levels this pageant attracted prior to 2019 but at least a positive sign of growth after the big attrition in 2019.  But to paraphrase a saying, sometimes it's not the quantity that counts, but the quality.  Do we have such a high quality batch this year?.

ALBANIA - Angela Tanuzi.  She is actually designated to also compete at the upcoming Miss World pageant, which has been delayed again from December this year to March next year.  At this point, I can say she's good looking but she's not that strong an interview and is less polished onstage compared to her peers.

ANGOLA - Eugénia das Neves.  Though she's not the sole African rocking the shaven head look, she made a huge standout impression being a major stage dynamo and proving to be a strong communicator.  It seems she's the top African of this group, and seems to be Top 10-bound, probably even going further to the Final Five..

ARGENTINA - Natalia Carolina Cometto.  Though there is one candidate who is positioning herself as an LGBTQ+ candidate, it is revealed through the closed-door interview that this lady also belongs to that club, as she revealed she has a Brazilian girlfriend back home who will be showing up to cheer for her in the finals.  This led Nawat and Teresa to tease her about hosting a wedding for her and her girlfriend right there in Vietnam, which she gamely accepted.  She's a solid, worthwhile contender--yes there are many ladies who overshadow her, but she is holding her own pretty well.

AUSTRALIA - Mikaela Rose Fowler.  She's the first of the Pretty, Lanky, Brunette Ingenues (PLBI) in this batch.  She's a strong communicator, snd performed at a stratified level, but I'm not certain if there is room for her in the Top 20.

BELARUS - Ekaterina Agapaya.  Though she comes from a country that has been receiving flak for its role supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she has been going out of her way to demonstrate she's an ambassadress of peace, especially with her wardrobe choices for national costume and interview.  Like ARGENTINA, she seems overshadowed by several stellar candidates but this lady is also holding her own well.

BELGIUM - Albertina Rodrigues.  She actually was born in Angola but her family moved to Belgium when she was very young, and as a result, she is now fluent in Portuguese (her main language), French, and English.  She has been delivering consistently high level performances all throughout and is a good-enough communicator, so I'm not certain if there is room for her in the Top 20.

BOLIVIA - Victoria Olguin.  She couldn't speak English that well that she had to rely on ARGENTINA to translate for her.  However, she did redeem herself in the Preliminary Competition as she performed at a high level--not sure if that's enough for her to make serious inroads into the Top 20.

BONAIRE - Ruby Pouchet.  This brunette is actually born in Venezuela, then moved to the US before settling in this Dutch territory*1.  This jet-black tressed lady is a solid contender, but like ARGENTINA and BELARUS, there are several ladies performing at stratified levels.

*1  It could be said that its status is equivalent to a French overseas department like Guadeloupe and Martinique, practically integrated to the Netherlands like Hawaii is to the US as it opted for closer ties with the Netherlands unlike Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten, who opted for more autonomy but still part of the kingdom.

BRAZIL - Adriana Yanca.  She is definitely not as gorgeous as the reigning Miss Grand International Isabella Menin, but she's polished in all aspects.  However, during the Preliminary Competition, she had a wobble in the swimsuit round as she performed a turn, and I have a feeling that might spell the difference between her making the Top 20 or not.

CAMBODIA - Phoem Sreyno.  Her English is very incomprehensible, but it seems she is tugging heartstrings about the struggles she endured in life before getting to where she is.  In terms of looks and stage skills, I would consider her middle-of-the-pack in a less competitive batch, but in a batch like this, this is middling to underwhelming.

CANADA - Yuliya Shcherban.  Here's the second member of the PLBI club.  She's of Ukrainian origin and she's a strong communicator with good looks and great stage presence.  Now, the question is, will there be room for her in the Top 20?

CHILE - Paula Henriquez.  She's generally solid, but not making much impact.  In a way, you can say she's part of the P.A.T.I.S. crew.

COLOMBIA - Maria Alejandra Lopez.  This lady has extensive pageant experience stretching all the way back to 2013 when she was 18 years old--she joined the prestigious Señorita Colombia where she ended up 3rd behind the eventual Miss Universe 2014 Paulina Vega.  That same year, she competed at Reina Hispanoamericana, where she won.  Two years later, she won Miss World Colombia and represented her country at the 2015 Miss World pageant--here she received her weakest showing ever as she was very much ignored by the powers-that-be there that she ended being the winner of the Holly Carpenter award*2.  In 2021, she competed at Miss Universe Colombia where she ended up 1st runner-up behind Miss Earth-Water 2018 Valeria Ayos, who later finished Top Five in that pageant.  And now, she of course won her national pageant for Grand International and here she is....

*2 A dubious distinction accorded to a gorgeous, articulate, strong contender who failed to be shortlisted in any fast-track event and also failed to make the final cut..

...making a major splash, as she is firing on all cylinders.  She proved to be a superb communicator (it helps she's fluent in English), and she made a major sensation in the Preliminary Competition, delivering consistently stellar performances that she is delivering on her status as the front-runner.  A big highlight was her evening gown presentation, as she sported a black Zorro-style hat as she introduced herself, then dramatically took it off to let her hair down and she paraded her black evening gown with major aplomb.  In the closed door interview, Nawat polled the candidates for their choice of winner other than themselves, and eight of them voted for this lady, and this is the highest tally in the poll.  It made me think if she is on a Catriona Gray trajectory, as she's seeking vindication from her Miss World debacle (which is indeed a debacle as she didn't place--this is the key difference with Catriona as she at least made Final Five at Miss World 2016). and it looks like she's on the edge of clinching a big win.

COSTA RICA - Kristell Freeman.  Like in Miss Supranational, this otherwise white-leaning Central American country is field a black girl.  She proved to be polished in all aspects, but in the Preliminary Competition her choice of gown is a huge letdown and I think that would be biggest hindrance to her Top 20 prospects.

COMING UP:  CUBA to HAITI

RESULTS REACTION AND CAPSULE REVIEW: THE MISTER INTERNATIONAL 2023

 

The Mister International pageant held its finals at the Baguio Country Club, and it had a huge shadow looming behind it as its rival Thai counterpart staged a slick, flashy pageant.  What can they do to counter this?  And can they come up with a production that could be of a high caliber?

The finals started promisingly enough as they hired ballerinas and a male street dance troupe to open the show and the 26 candidates appeared in streetwear and danced along.  Well, there are still that "pageant choreography" that made me cringe, but still it was a very energetic opening.  I discovered that one contestant made a radical makeover from his appearance throughout the competition to the finals as he shaved off his beard--INDIA (Jairus Singh).  If he went for this look from the get-go, he probably would've been a more competitive contender and possibly stealing NEPAL's thunder.

Suddenly clean-shaven:  INDIA (Jairus Singh)

Now, we go to the element that far exceeded the Thai counterpart--the hosts.  The hosts were Sean Ortega and Miss Intercontinental 2019 semifinalist Emma Tiglao.  Both hosts expressed themselves with clear English diction, and both were very savvy in how to fill up time during lull periods.  Sean got raves from some netizens with his deep voice, some even crushing on him because of that voice.  Emma was almost impeccable and had three wardrobe changes throughout the evening.  The only gaffe they committed was calling CANADA first in the Top Eight Q&A ahead of ARGENTINA, who was called out to the Top Eight before him.

Hosts Sean Ortega and Emma Tiglao

The show then went straight to announcing the Top 16.  Then, as the Top 16 switch into swimsuits, we were treated to an intermission number by Ballet Baguio set to the OPM hit "Raining in Manila" by band Lola Amour.  Then, to a 2021 electro-reggaeton track by Leftside and NXTFRIDAY called "Pressure", the Top 16 paraded in grey swimwear.  As the Top 16 change into formal wear, the reigning winner, Lukanand Kshetrimayum was called out and he gave a speech talking about his advocacy trying to stop drug and human trafficking in Manipur.  For the formal wear round, they decided to borrow an element from the late 1980s-early 1990s edition of Miss Universe as the Top 16 were accompanied by little boys designated as "little brothers" and as a ritual, the Top 16 handed over replicas of their sashes/banners and hung them over their shoulders, almost like a boy scout investiture..  All the candidates (including the non-finalists) were clad in a white-jacket/black-trouser tuxedo combo--the stylistic personalization came with what dress shirts they would choose to wear underneath that ensemble.  This sequence was set to this hip-hop track that seems to be entitled "In the Zone", but I couldn't quite find the matching track on YouTube.  After that, in a slightly brutal cut, they whittled the Top 16 into a Top Eight.

I got 11 out of 16 correct in my "Fearful" Forecast.  The five who I didn't get were all in my "Bubbling Under" list so I'm not that surprised by their inclusion, and four of the five that were left out were always on the verge of being replaced by any of the five.  I'll first discuss the guys who missed the cut but at least had the consolation of winning special awards.

CAMBODIA (Thea Sok Tola) at least won a special award for being third place in national costume.  I picked him on the "Striking Distance" list, so we consider this award as a consolation for not making the cut.

 

Best in National Costume 2nd Runner-Up:  CAMBODIA (Thea Sok Tola

Most pageant fans and pundits would put POLAND (Maciej Skowronek) as the winner of the Lucas Malvacini Award as many dig his tall 6'3" height (as tall as the PHILIPPINES) and innocently boyish handsomeness.  But I would only place him second runner-up for that dubious honor as I'm not into that kind of boyish look, and I sense he may not be as polished as other contenders out there.  But he did earn a special award as Top Model, as admittedly his type is being prized in fashion circles these days so that award is apt.

Top Model winner and Lucas Malvacini Awardee (Netizens' Choice):  POLAND (Maciej Skowronek):  

SINGAPORE (Aidid Haidil) won the Mister Multimedia special award, and he's my first runner-up for the Lucas Malvacini Award.  I thought people would gravitate towards his sexy, masculine features and supremely buffed bod and overlook his height deficiency, but the judges and insiders were simply not that into him, I suppose.

Mister Multimedia winner:  SINGAPORE (Aidid Haidil)

I expected a lot from SOUTH AFRICA (Kofi Adea-Adu) and included him in my Top 10 list as even if he's relatively subdued onstage compared to his flashier two black colleagues, I found him smoldering with a quiet charisma that I dig and rated him the one most likely to make it.  But it turns out my assessment should be in reverse as the one I thought would bubble under ended up going pretty far.  Anyway, he won the Mister Personality award, which makes me think he actually aced the interview, but simply fell short in the judges' and insiders' eyes and hence he missed the cut.  He's my choice for the Lucas Malvacini Award.

Winner, Mister Personality and Lucas Malvacini Award (Blogger's Choice):   SOUTH AFRICA (Kofi Adea-Adu) 

Though the Top 16 by itself wasn't that shocking to me, the ones who ended up advancing and the ones who remained relegated to that level were shocking indeed..

The Top 16

Non-finalists with the "Little Brothers"

I did predict NEPAL (Abishek Chudal) to make it as I find him a very polished presence and I know his beefy bod has its appeal.  And I did predict this is as far as he will go, so we can say him winning Mister Congeniality is gravy to an already welcome achievement.

Mister Congeniality winner:   NEPAL (Abishek Chudal) 

I know many netizens took a liking to MEXICO (Christian Cardero) and I actually understand his appeal, though I just find his looks a bit too rough for comfort.  But him making the cut is very understandable especially in this milieu, so I'm very much okay with his inclusion.  It's interesting to note that he's a key instigator of an epic moment at this pageant's end.

Big finale instigator:  MEXICO (Christian Cardero)

I know the Filipino public have a sentimental heart for UZBEKISTAN (Laziz Rastomov) and wanted him to go far, perhaps even all the way to Top Eight, but the fact that he has these modesty restrictions may have inhibited his chances of going further.

Modesty considerations:  UZBEKISTAN (Laziz Rastomov)

I pegged BRAZIL (Eduardo Onofre) as a Top 10 contender, but since it turns out they were going to go for a Top Eight instead, I can imagine this guy also being relegated to stay in the Top 16, and that is where here ended up.  At least he got a 1st runner-up award for Best National Costume as a consolation.

1st runner-up, Best National Costume:  BRAZIL (Eduardo Onofre) 

I thought NIGERIA (Michael Adebowale) and UNITED KINGDOM (Ryan Larson) would be Top Eight shoo-ins, but the judges on final night seem to have a few other bets that they preferred, and perhaps they are not as favored by the insiders and preliminary panel as I initially perceived, so they were shut out from advancing to the next round.

Shut out from Top Eight, Part 1:  NIGERIA (Michael Adebowale)

Shut out from Top Eight, Part 2:  UNITED KINGDOM (Ryan Larson)

The biggest shocker, though, was shutting out COSTA RICA (Ricardo Mena) and CUBA (Brandon Alaen) from advancing to the Top Eight, much less making the Final Five as I had forecasted.  The composition of the final board of judges may have played a key factor, as the five judges consisted of an Arab, an African, an Indian (the only female in the panel, and yes, not the reigning titleholder in this edition), a Filipino, and a Malaysian.  Maybe most of the members in this diverse mix do not cotton well to the Classic Latino Handsomeness exhibited by these two guys, and maybe found their presentations onstage a tad too slick (especially in the case of CUBA--who in hindsight reminds me of 98 Degrees lead singer Nick Lachey) that they shut them out.  If the judges were perhaps 4/5 Filipino (just like the composition in the Pradinunt edition was more than 4/5 Thai, the only two foreign judges were the reigning Mister International from Dominican Republic and the 2013 winner from Venezuela). these two guys would've made a serious play for the Final Five as I have forecasted.

Too slick for diverse panel, part 1:  COSTA RICA (Ricardo Mena)

Too slick for diverse panel, part 2:  CUBA (Brandon Alaen)

After the Top Eight was selected, though Sean and Eva declared they will have a casual chat with the Top Eight, it's actually not "casual" but actually a structured format, with the Top Eight expounding on a relevant world topic they randomly selected from a bowl.  And arguably in this round (and the next) the pageant nearly went off the rails because the pageant's communications director, Norman Tinio, volunteered to be the Spanish translator even if he is not that fluent in that language and had to rely on a translator app to perform this task, and unfortunately that app returned an incomprehensible translation.  Many netizens viewing the livestream cringed and posted that they should've employed CUBA to do the translation instead because he's fluent in both English (he speaks with an American accent) and Spanish--in last year's Mister International, they employed the non-finalist from Puerto Rico as the translator, so this is not an unprecedented event.  To be blunt, I think this is a horrible lapse of good judgment on Norman's part and I hope he never does this role again.

I got only three of the Top Eight in my "Fearful" Forecast, and I was so way off, four of the members of that Top Eight were merely in my "Bubbling Under" list.  So it can be said that the Top Eight is very much a shocker.

The Top 8

I have to note about how to pronounce the last part of MYANMAR (Aung Khant Kyaw)'s name, "Kyaw".  If you know how to pronounce former prime minister and Nobel Prize Winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, the "Ky" part sounds closer to a "ch" sound than how you normally pronounce a "ky" dipthong, so his given name sounds more like "Kant-Chow", which sounds almost identical to the Tagalog word "kantiyaw", meaning to tease mercilessly, and this guy created a moment worthy of a kantiyaw as when NEPAL was called into the Top 16, he was the one who moved forward instead of the actual semifinalist.  Thankfully it turned out he made the cut anyway as he was called out last.  I only placed him in my "Bubbling Under" list as I thought he would be edged out by the likes of AUSTRALIA (Casey Van Ryan), INDONESIA (Isach Kbarek), and others, but it turns out the insiders and preliminary judges took a liking to him.  At least, for his Top Eight Q&A, Norman was not on-hand to translate for him but they used an actual Burmese/Myanmar person (possibly his director).who at least gave a decent translation of what this guy related when asked about his thoughts on pollution.  Basically he gave a decent but shallow answer acknowledging the existence of pollution in this world, and that we should do the basic steps like recycling to help fix this problem.

Worthy of a kantiyaw:  MYANMAR (Aung Khant Kyaw)

I also placed CANADA (Dhruv Kumar) in my "Bubbling Under" list, but I understand his inclusion as he gave an energetic presentation during the Preliminary Competition, and repeated that in his performance in this final.  I guess the diverse panel took a strong liking to him and that is why they made him advance over early favorites COSTA RICA and CUBA.  His question is about unemployment, and basically his approach is to talk about everyone having innate talents in themselves and if they work hard enough, they would be able to achieve their dreams.  It's a well-composed speech, though I felt he went slightly off-tangent in relation to the topic.

Energetic presence:  CANADA (Dhruv Kumar)

I did notice some pageant fans and pundits highly rating U S A (Anthony Borengasser), some of them including him in the Final Five.  I didn't rate him that high and only placed him in the Top 16 as I find his facial appearance a tad rough.  But I'm not that surprised he advanced.  I have to make a note of his performance in the swimsuit rounds, as he opted to do bodybuilding poses--his physique is not yet to a modern bodybuilders' competition level, which prefer bulkier muscles with extreme definition, but I came across footage of 1940s bodybuilding contests and found out most male pageant candidates and him would fit perfectly right in that era.  I like his physique just the way it is, but I have a feeling he might want to go towards bodybuilding contests in the future, just like Mister International 2010, Ryan Terry, who is now a regular in the British bodybuilding circuit.  For the Q&A his topic is about poverty, and he used a similar approach to CANADA, stating that poverty is a state of mind and it can be overcome if you know what gifts you have and use it to rise above it.  It's solid, but the "woke activist" in me felt that he didn't quite address that there are systemic factors that is causing the poverty, as reflected in the increasingly glaring income inequality experienced in his country and several others (like ours).  His answer couldn't address the situation of hard-working folks who exerted all their efforts to rise above but are still mired in that state.

Future bodybuilder?  U S A (Anthony Borengasser)

I got three of the Final Five correct, and was surprised at how highly regarded the two I didn't get were that they ended up finishing this high.  Their final question is "How would you inspire the next generation as Mister International?"

The Final Five

4TH RUNNER-UP:  MALAYSIA - Abdul Rahman Lee.  I'm quite surprised at how several netizens regard him as a front-runner, as I don't quite get it looking at his facial features.  But he does seem to have a charming personality and decent communication skills and this is probably how he won over the insiders and preliminary judges.  With a Malaysian in the final panel, his chances of making the winners' circle seems almost guaranteed, and indeed that is what happened.  For the Top Eight Q&A, he was asked to expound on food security, and he basically talked about hygiene, doing practices to keep food clean and make sure you wash your hands.  He probably didn't understand that food security is actually about ensuring the supply of food reaches everyone, and not about hygiene, so I felt he went off-tangent, but I think the judges didn't mind he went off-tangent and allowed the conviction of his answer to let him through.  For the final question, he basically talked about working with the organization to work on his advocacy on mental health.  It wasn't a substantial enough answer so I unerstand why he ended up as 4th runner-up.

Food security is not about hygiene:  MALAYSIA (Abdul Rahman Lee)

3RD RUNNRR-UP:  ARGENTINA - Angel Olaya.  There might have been some fans and insiders who complimented him by saying he looks like Superman or Clark Kent, so for the finals he decided to apply that to his hairstyle by adding that front lick like the comic book superhero.  I prefer his more natural, original style and found the Superman look too contrived, but well it does make him stand out in this group.  Anyway, it's a given he'll make the Final Five, and he did deliver on the hype and hence made it this far.  Now, I wonder if Norman Tinio's attempt at translation hindered this guy from ranking higher.  For the Top 8 Q&A he was asked to expound on the issue of global health, he seemed to give a substantive answer about how health serves a foundation to how well a society fares and progress, that a healthy society leads to better opportunities for everyone and allows this society to give back to help other societies in need.  Arguably I think he delivered the best answer in the Top Eight and in this round, In the Top Eight round, Norman's app seemed to work though he had to navigate and get context cues to communicate his answer well.  For the final answer, he seems to be speaking eloquently about generating programs to leave a legacy for the youth so they can learn and be empowered to change our world for the better in the future, but the translation app couldn't seem to capture his speech adequately and returned incomprehensible gobbledygook which baffled Norman, and many bilingual netizens argued he actually gave the best answer but Norman's app botched it and felt he deserved way better than his actual finish.  I've heard the Argentinean dialect could be considered a bit incomprehensible (supposedly the "y" and "ll" sounds would sound like "sh"), but it seems Angel was not even speaking in that dialect and instead was using normal Latin American Spanish or maybe even classic Castillian Spanish (the accent/dialect from Spain).  That is why I can't excuse the app for failing to capture his speech.

"Superman" hurt by translator?  ARGENTINA (Angel Olaya)

2ND RUNNER-UP:  JAMAICA - Tamichael Watson.  If there was a guy I was most reluctant to place in my "Bubbling Under" list, it's this guy.  I thought Filipino preferences for more Caucasian types like AUSTRALIA and POLAND would prevail over him, but I didn't realize that he has been charming the preliminary judges and insiders so much that he turned out to be the "black man most likely".  For the Top Eight Q&A , his topic was climate change,  He just basically made a statement acknowledging climate change is indeed a problem and that authorities should come with solutions to either totally or mostly eradicate the problem, and that's it.  But for the final question, he did provide a more substantial answer about how a winner being an exemplar of poise, stature, and "most importantly, empathy" and talked about his advocacy on mental health, especially about talking about all that worries them and by letting all that out and getting the needed support, the next generation can help build for a brighter future.  I suppose the strength of that answer helped him advance ahead of ARGENTINA and deliver this finish.

Diverse favorite:  JAMAICA (Tamichael Watson)

1ST RUNNER-UP:  PHILIPPINES - Austin Cabatana.  Well, he has garnered innate favoritism amongst fans and insiders as he's the host candidate, and there is that 6'3" stature as he's tied as the tallest candidate (alongside POLAND) in this batch.  His Top 8 topic is about human rights, and he gave a basic answer that this topic is important and every person's life decisions need to be respected and that governments and institutions ensure that these are respected.  For the final question, he simply talks about inspiring the youth to be educated as education is his advocacy.  Compared to the answers delivered by JAMAICA and potentially, ARGENTINA, this answer is also very basic, and if we decide the final results based on that answer alone, most fans and pundits will place him in a lower rank, but I have a feeling because of his favoritism status early on, it built up and helped him secure this lofty result.

Hometown favorite:  PHILIPPINES (Austin Cabatana)

THE MISTER INTERNATIONAL 2023:  SPAIN - Jose Antonio Campos Calle.  If we follow Spanish naming conventions, Calle is his mother's surname and Campos is his father's, and normally that would mean he should be known as Jose Campos for short, but he prefers to go by his mother's surname so his shortened name is Jose Calle.  I'm intrigued by the reason behind this--is it because Campos is a very common surname and for him to stand out a bit he opted to use his mother's maiden surname?  Or perhaps he's primarily raised by his mother with little connection to his father?  Or is there any other reason?  Anyway, his charisma is undeniable and all throughout the evening he was competing at a stratified level that all the rest had to keep up.  So how did he fare in the interview rounds?  His Top Eight topic was about lack of education, and as Norman translated his answer, it seems he is stating that education starts with the family, and with the help of family stressing the importance of education, it can open one up to possibilities.  I don't know if Norman was able to properly translate the "lack of" part of the topic as it seemed slightly off-tangent, but could still be considered an acceptable answer as education is not necessarily about formal schooling but can be attained in what you have in your surroundings.  For the final Q&A, from what I was able to pick up and did my own Google translate, he answered about conducting workshops and talks addressing social causes for the youth to be aware and act on as this is important for the youth to know, but Norman's app just botched it into incomprehensible gibberish that like ARGENTINA he forced this guy to repeat his message and still the app's output was still gibberish.  It may not be as eloquent as what ARGENTINA potentially gave, and perhaps not as strong as JAMAICA, but it's still a solid enough answer and his victory was secured.

The overall favorite prevailed:  SPAIN (Jose Antonio Campos Calle)

To be honest, the caliber of the answers delivered by the candidates in this contest pale in comparison to the Thai counterpart--though this group is the one who is more serious about causes and advocacy, the candidates didn't quite deliver the substance that the candidates from the Pradinunt group delivered.  Though overall it's still a good pageant, there are a lot of things the Deldio group would need to improve upon so they can fully convince the world that they are the legitimate Mister International and not the other team.  On Instagram, Manuel did mention addressing the winner that there will be challenges ahead.  Do they have what it takes to be able to assert its prominence?

A few days after this pageant, the winner of Pradinunt's pageant visited Manila to support the conduct of Empire PH's The Miss Philippines and Mister Pilipinas Worldwide pageants, which were conducted jointly as The Filipino Festival.  Manuel Deldio issued a cease-and-desist order attempting to prevent Thailand's Kim Thitisan Goodburn from making an appearance identified as the reigning Mister International, but it seemed to have fizzled as Kim still made an appearance identified accordingly as "Mister International" and displayed his sash at that.  So why did it fizzle?  Well, I think Deldio is no match to the owner of Empire PH, Jonas Gaffud, as he had cultivated friends in high places over the years that he can afford to ignore such legal orders.  At most Jonas will probably pay Deldio a fine for this breach and it will likely only cost a pittance especially with Jonas's connections.

The Winners' Circle:  3rd Runner-Up ARGENTINA, 1st Runner-Up PHILIPPINES, Mister International 2023 SPAIN, 2nd Runner-Up JAMAICA, 4th Runner-Up MALAYSIA

Besides the near-impeccable hosts, the biggest saving grace of this pageant was the finale, as the candidates performed the now traditional Victory Lift--it was the rowdiest, most enthusiastic celebratory lift I have witnessed.  It was so fun and energetic as the winner was actually tossed upwards a total of seven times, as documented by Facebook user Muscle Unlimited in a reel.  MEXICO initiated the lift by tackling the winner, and the others quickly joined in to lift and toss him.  Considering the intensity of the tosses, it's amazing how SPAIN managed to hold on to his trophy and keep it intact as he was repeatedly tossed about.  This moment created heavy buzz in the internet that it made this pageant generate a high profile over the web which the other party could no longer suppress.

Moving forward I will identify this pageant as Mister Internaional (Distinctively Handsome) and the other pageant as Mister International (New Era).  Though the New Era group has the upper hand, the Distinctively Handsome group may still have life that they can remain viable (especially since it recently got a pan-African franchise deal so expect a multitude of candidates from that region next year).  Of course, the dispute of who is the legitimate holder of the Mister International name remains unsettled (despite assertions of the opposite) but it makes for colorful fireworks ahead.

JUST ME!

JOSEPH

See MEXICO tackle the winner for the now-traditional "Victory Lift".

Look how high they tossed  him up!