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
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