The crowning of the new Miss International is less than a week away! Lots of things have already happened since the arrival, and the delegates have been brought to several places to experience Japanese hospitality. There are silent performers. As time passes by, some of them are slowly adjusting to the environment, and to the MI system. They are beginning to show their competitive edge. They are showing their hidden talents. Many girls don’t want to be left behind anymore, and are stepping up their game! Now, who are leading the pack? Let’s get to know them!
No. 1 is Patricija Belousova of Lithuania. Her dance performance in Saitama last week simply sealed the deal! Akemi Shimomura was carefully watching at her, and she made quite a great impression. Patricija also did not waste any time to be able talk to the ICA chairperson, and was fortunate enough to be assigned at a table near the VIPs. When luck is really on your side, you just can’t let it pass! Patricija got the biggest break of all!
Still in second place is Colombia! Vanessa is hard to topple down. She is one of the most consistent delegates with an impeccable sense of style. Her bubbly personality is also something that we really appreciate about her. She may look strong or intimidating on photos, but in person, she is really sweet, humble and amiable.
Slowly climbing up the ladder is Mexico! Citlaly is very photogenic. What you see in photos is what you actually get in person. Like what we have mentioned in the previous hot picks, Mexico has been treated unfairly by MI since 2014. Citlaly could finally break the curse and win the title that they last won eight years ago.
Venezuela is in fourth place. Tall, young and very refreshing to look at, Diana is what we can literally say as “angelic” looking. She has the smile that can brighten up your day! Although a bit timid and shy, we know that come final night, she will transform into a stage diva and a major performer.
In fifth place is none other than Miss South Africa. Tayla is back in the Top 5 and is poised to do well in the areas where it matters the most – speech round! There will be two events where the girls will be given the chance to talk in front of business leaders and female achievers in Japan. We expect Tayla to be doing well in these rounds.
To those who do not know the schedule of events, the Miss International delegates will be having the 2nd Women Entrepreneurs Forum this Friday at the Miss Paris headquarter in Ginza. This is an event where selected contestants have the chance to speak in public, and talk about the status of women in their country. This can either make or break a contestant’s chance at winning the title because if she volunteers to speak, and end up saying things that don’t make sense, she will be totally kicked out as a crown contender. It is really advisable for every delegate who wish to hold the microphone to be aware of the risk involved because the Akemi Shimomura will be there to figure out who can be a great spokesperson for the organization. Not everyone will be given the chance to speak, so the next option will be the visit to the Showa Women’s University on Sunday.
Sliding down to sixth place is Curacao. She got a really good start, but she is now keeping a low profile. It’s probably a good strategy so she can focus on the task ahead. At seventh spot is Indonesia. No one can deny that her fans are doing everything to keep her presence on Instagram to be as endless as possible. She does not even need to do so much because any photo that comes out with her on it get shared right away. But that’s not to say that Kevin is just all about social media. Her youthful vibe is her asset. She always looks fresh and simply adorable. At eighth place is Miss Nepal. If there is a year where we believe that Nepal can finally penetrate the Top 5 in any major international pageant, it must be through Niti. It will be a huge loss for MI to ignore this young woman who is working so hard for her country to be noticed in a global platform. At ninth place, and is back in our ranking is Spain! One of the best dressed delegate this year, Elizabeth Victoria is also a skilled dancer. She performed on the Saitame stage, earlier than Patricija and she was also breathtaking! Watch out for her because she can pull a surprise, much like how Valerie Hernandez surprised us all in 2014! At tenth place, is Ukraine. This entrepreneur is probably the most accomplished and successful from this year’s batch in terms of career and profession. Kseniia is a business developer who is based in Dubai. She is about to move to London in order to further her career. She has a masters degree in business administration, so she definitely knows what women can do in the business world.
Peru is new in our ranking and is in 11th place! Tiffany is fluent in English. She is actually friendly and has an exotic look that may also pass as an Asian. We may have missed her in the previous hot picks, but not this time. She is a doll! At 12th place is the Philippine delegate, and she is back in our list! No country has ever won back-to-back the Miss International title, and Mariel has the pressure on her shoulder. But what we like about her is that, she seems not that affected about that prospect, and she’s been doing really well in all of the MI activities. We have to compliment her wardrobes too, because they have always been appropriate to the occasion. Meanwhile at 13th spot is Finland. Pihla is still in our radar, and we expect her to hold on despite the fall in rank. Her swimsuit photo taken in Enoshima showed that she has an amazing form, so we can’t wait to see her in the swimsuit round on Tuesday! At 14th spot is Vietnam! Huynh is very photogenic, well-poised, and has an infectious smile! She has a very wholesome presence that makes you want to be close and friends with her. With that being said, we actually feel that she can be a favorite by the chaperons and staff who have been evaluating the girls these past few days. And finally at 15th spot is Sierra Leone. This is the second year in a row that Sierra Leone sends a great delegate at MI. Last year, they won the Miss International Africa special award. This year, Abie is going for a higher price, and that would be her country’s first ever placement in a major international pageant!
MISS INTERNATIONAL 2017 5th Official Hot Picks
1. LITHUANIA (Patricija Belousova)
2. COLOMBIA (Vanessa Pulgarin)
3. MEXICO (Citlaly Higuera)
4. VENEZUELA (Diana Croce)
5. SOUTH AFRICA (Tayla Skye Robinson)
6. CURACAO (Chanelle De Lau)
7. INDONESIA (Kevin Lilliana)
8. NEPAL (Niti Shah)
9. SPAIN (Elizabeth Victoria Ledesma)
10. UKRAINE (Kseniia Chyfa)
11. PERU (Tiffany Lopez)
12. PHILIPPINES (Maria Angelica De Leon)
13. FINLAND (Pihla Koivuniemi)
14. VIETNAM (Huynh Thi Thuy Dung)
15. SIERRA LEONE (Abie Mansaray)
Bubbling up: AUSTRALIA, CANADA, PARAGUAY, RUSSIA, SWEDEN
Honorable mention: BELARUS, BELGIUM, MYANMAR, NETHERLANDS, USA
