Miss Grand 2020 prelims begin

MGI 2020 holds press presentation, swimsuit prelims

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

The Miss Grand International organization, together with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, formally presented the 63 official candidates vying for the Miss Grand Int'l 2020 title to members of the media at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Office. This fast-rising pageant platform espouses world peace - calling a stop to all kinds of conflict through its anti-war and violence campaign.

"This year is quite different because of Covid-19. People have asked me why I hold the MGI event and told them that if we stop, then everything will stop. The situation is quite difficult but no one can stop my heart. Other pageants are following our lead. I invite people from all over the world to visit Thailand again," remarked MGI president Nawat Itsaragrisil in his keynote speech.

Miss Grand Kenya and Miss Grand Nigeria came out of hospital quarantine, in time for the press event. The two delegates were under health care from corporate sponsor Piyavate Hospital, after testing positive to the requisite swab test upon arrival. Miss Grand Kenya told media attendees that her grandmother passed on last November due to Covid-19.

For her part, Miss Grand Nigeria said her confinement kept her sanity intact because it was not easy to be in quarantine.

Miss Grand Int'l 2019 Valentina Figuera of Venezuela is the longest reigning winner, to date. She has worn the crown for almost two years now. "I feel a little emotional but not sad. I'll always be a part of the MGI family. An MGI queen must be ready to work with the organization. Thank you for all the support."

The day after the candidates met members of the media was the swimsuit preliminaries. Beautifully choreographed and photographed at the roofdeck of the Lebua State Tower, all the candidates wore identical two piece, duo-toned green MGI swimwear. 

The venue, touted as the world's highest whiskey bar, was a watering hole perched 820 feet up in the air. Fast becoming Thailand's foremost vertical destination, the Lebua whiskey bar afforded a spellbinding 180-degree vista of the Bangkok skyline.

The score for this event, together with the preliminary night ratings, will determine the Best in Swimsuit recipient, as adjudged by the same online panel of judges.

Miss Grand Philippines 2020 Samantha Mae Bernardo scorched the runway with her signature Grandnada walk - acing the challenging stairwell descent and the slippery platform/dais, where all the contestants took a bow before exiting. This challenging part of the choreography's routine tested how prepared the contestants were in their pasarela skills.

A few contestants had a hard time coming down the steps. Miss Grand Cuba and Miss Grand Scotland tripped during their walk, while Miss Grand Peru and Miss Grand Thailand had near slips.

The other candidates who showed an impressive pasarela were Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and USA.  

Fans of the candidates, who desire their bets to reach the Top 10, can cast their votes via *789 using the Star app. It is hoped the minor rift between Missosology and the MGI organization will soon be ironed out. Mr. Nawat called out to the pageant site to seek his permission before using footage on their Youtube channel.

The following day, all the candidates went through the closed-door interview, in batches of four, with Mr. Nawat Itsaragrisil, VP Teresa Chaivisut, and reigning Mis Grand Int'l  Valentina Figuera as jurors. Miss Grand India was finally able to join the Welcome Dinner, hosted by sponsors Golden Tulip Sovereign and Piyavate Hospital, completing the roster of candidates - with Miss Grand Bashkortostan, who was able to join the girls in the swimsuit prelims.

The National  Costume competition will unfold on Mar 24, while the pageant preliminaries will take place on Mar 25. The coronation rites will happen on Mar 27. All three events will happen at the Show D.C. Hall at 7 in the evening, Thailand time, and will be broadcast live through the Grand TV Youtube  channel and its  Facebook Live coverage.