This year's Mister Global decided to adopt a competition format that places the bulk of the judgment on finals night. Though there was a Beachwear event and preliminary interviews prior to finals night, the national costume, the swimsuit and formal wear competition segments that were typically part of a preliminary competition are instead integrated into the finals, practically making it
Another thing is that they did stage a National Costume Show, but it was held on the same day, three hours prior to the final. With the number of delegates present, the show was over in about 30 minutes. It is notable that one contestant that dropped out got to participate in this parade: NEPAL (Yogesh Shrestha), who was introduced as if he was still competing, but how he was placed onstage when it was his turn compared to the rest of the contestants provided a hint why he had to back out--he was presented only standing up at one stage wall, while the other delegates got to present their costumes by walking across the elongated-serif-I-shaped stage. The full explanation of his withrawal would be explained during the final. I suppose the reason he got to participate in the National Costume show is that Thais truly venerate the Buddha, and NEPAL's costume actually depicts the founder of the faith, Siddharta Gautma (yes, he was born in this country).
The National Costume proceedings was hosted by Polawat Pilippat and his role in those proceedings is basically to describe the costumes as they were paraded by the delegates, alongside an unidentified female voiceover. I appreciate their efforts relaying everyting in English, but the thick Thai diction is a bit tough-going for my ears.
Meanwhile, the Final competition was hosted by Anggon Gan and Miss Universe 2023 1st runner-up*1 Anntonia Porsild. The former of course has that noticeable Thai accent, while Anntonia brings an international standard with her fluent English and strong hosting style. It's interesting that they are identified in the credits as T-Modex and Lita--are those nicknames they use for the Thai audience?
*1 And Miss Supranational 2019 winner. Unfortunately she cannot be introduced as such as TPN Global doesn't have the pageant franchise.
The delegates of course carried the prodcution. They have an energetic opening number featuring them clad in green T-sihirts and black slacks which are typical training/combat outfits for the Thai military, and each of them got to strut across the stage. This is followed by a video introduction video of them in the jungle, and we get to see them shirtless in individual close-ups. After Anggon and Anntonia introduced the selection committee for this evening, the delegates paraded onstage in outfits representing their backgrounds and/or professions and formally introduced themselves. The twist though is that this is a lengthier introduction sequence, as they had to expound a bit of themselves, as this round is considered "communicating your essence". Tis was then followed by all delegates dancing and parading in blue swimsuits, and displaying their elegance in formal wear. After the formal wear round, that was when they finally cut the 31 delegates in competition to a Top 20.
In-between the swimsuit and formal wear rounds, there is a backstage sequence where we finally solve the riddle of "T-Modex and Lita". It turns out they are the trans backstage commentators who were roaming around the vast backstage interviewing contestants--and revealing that NEPAL was injured which caused him to back out from the competition and watch from the sidelines instead.
Before discussing how the rest of the finals went, let's pay tribute to the 11 delegates that didn't make the cut.
HONG KONG - Junyu Ye. Based on his plain appearance and less-than-buffed physique, it seems obvious that this guy should take up last place. But he has a redeeming factor as he probably did respectably in interview based on his "essence" speech as he effectively relayed his background as a tennis coach.
CAMBODIA - Yanna Him. I pegged him as a possible Top 20 finisher as he is a vast improvement from his predecessor in terms of physical looks and presence. Unfortunately, based on his essence speech, where he only shouted out his country's name and not much else, I have a feeling he was probably last place in interview, and interview this year holds major weight.
SRI LANKA - Thilina Nirosha Udawatta. Yes, he looks a bit rough, but I actually find him and his lean, sinewy frame appealing. But I sense he would have an uphill battle making the cut when I saw his interview outfit--he was clad very casually in a T-shirt and jeans, while the rest dressed up for the occasion. Then, there was his "essence" speech, where he stripped off his shirt and spoke about being a fitness trainer and how he wants to emphasize health. The act of stripping off the shirt seems a bit off-putting to me, because the implied message here is that all he can offer is his body--and that uncomfortably reminds me of Mister Supranational 2017 semifinalist Htoo Ant Lwin from Myanmar.*2
*2 Though he already garnered controversy as there were nude leaks when he competed then, he became more notorious as he willingly posed for much racier layouts since then.
PAKISTAN - Attaullah Gujjar. He's notable for his swarthy looks and long hair. It's not the sort of look that Thais respond well to, so it was expected that he won't be able to place. But I appreciate it when he pulled his hair back and tied it in a bun as that is his most flattering look.
MALAYSIA - Siranjivy Karpaya. His pre-arrival photo didn't inspire much, and I could've easily pegged him as a cellar-dweller. But he had a major makeover when he arrived in Bangkok, as he shaved off the mustache and had a more modern hairstyle that flattered him better. He turned out to be a solid, worthwhile contender, even if Thais don't dig dusky guys of Tamil descent.
SINGAPORE - John Sathguru. I find him sexy and appealing that I thought he has what it takes to finish in the Top 20. But admittedly he faltered in the final, as when he communicated his "essence" speech, he wasn't able to complete it and just drifted off, and hurting matters is that he was also sporting the same look as MALAYSIA. He wasn't able to make the Thais overcome their biases against dusky guys of Tamil descent.
VIETNAM - Thang Cao Quoc. He was a late arrival, that is why he missed the sashing ceremony. He's generally an overall solid contender that somehow didn't win favor with the predominantly Thai juding panel.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Kenneth Castillo. I thought he might have strong communication skills and enough charisma to make the Top 20 but I also notice he wasn't projecting his best consistently, and that might be the reason why he missed the cut.
ECUADOR - Ariel Bravo Delgado. I pegged him as a Top 11 finisher, as I thought he had oodles of charisma. But i have a feeling he fizzled in interview and that cost him a Top 20 slot. Wonder if his lack of facility in English worsened matters for him?
PANAMA - Gilberto Peñalba. I first presumed he was the same guy who placed in the Top 20 in last year's Mister Supranational so I thought he would've made a more serious play and pegged him as a Top Five finalist. But it turns out he's not the same guy, though I do like his look and thought he has enough charisma to make it through. So it's a shocker to see this guy miss the cut. Was it also because he could not speak English?
COMING UP: THE TOP 20
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