Supra Model challenge

 Dindi in Top 2 of Top Model challenge for Asia

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Miss Supranational Philippines 2021 Dindi Pajares was selected as one of two candidates in the Asian region for the recently concluded Supra Model Challenge at the Hotel Beskid in Malopolska, Poland. The other contestant who made the cut was China's Alice Li, a South Asian, making Dindi the only Southeast Asian entrant to be shortlisted to the Top 11.

Aside from the two Asians, the Top 11 was comprised of other regional winners from Africa (Chanique Rabe of Namibia and Amelia Michael Sky of South Sudan), the Americas (Darelys Santos of Panama and Deise Benecio of Brazil), the Caribbean (Janelle Thongs of Trinidad and Tobago and Karla Guilfu Acevedo of Puerto Rico), and Europe (Melina-Maria Milliou of Greece, Louise-Marie Losfeld of Belgium, and Ines Kasemi of Albania). South Sudan, Panama, China, Belgium, and Puerto Rico were chosen as regional winners and one of them will advance to the Top 20 during the revelation on the final show.

After the Supra Model challenge, the five top contenders in the talent competition presented their respective pieces. Ghana's Veronica Sarfo Adu Nti was proclaimed Miss Talent for her rendition of a song that she said was so much a part of her Supra journey. USA's Shivali Patel, who showcased a splice of Bollywood and modern jazz, was in second place; while Linda Sibrian of El Salvador, who wowed spectators with her samba dance routine, won third place. The other two contenders were Thailand's Queenie Benjarat, who sang while playing the piano, and Janelle Thongs of Trinidad and Tobago, who also rendered a song.

Miss Supranational organization's creative director Andre Sleigh, who announced the winners, said that next year's talent presentation will simply be a showcase and no longer a competition. He reiterated that talent should be celebrated and never in competition.

The Mister Supranational 2021 candidates also had their talent and top model challenges.

The five entrants who presented their pieces were Nipun Kaewruan of Thailand, who presented a dance with martial arts movements; Santosh Upadhyaya of Nepal drew an image while humming a traditional chant; Varo Vargas of Peru did an a capella rendition of a song he wrote; Francisco Vergara of Puerto Rico essayed a cover of "You Raised Me Up;" and Daniel Borzewski of Poland did a song-and-dance number.

In the Top Model challenge, Raffael Fiedler of Malta, Manuel Molano of Colombia, and Abdel-Kacem Tefridj of Togo were chosen as the Top 3 finalists from a crop of eleven semifinalists that included Sierra Leone, Venezuela, Belgium, Mexico, Peru, Spain Slovakia, and Morocco.

Unlike their distaff counterpart, no male winner was proclaimed in the talent competition. The victor will be announced on the final show, together with the ultimate winner of the Top Model challenge.

The Miss Supranational 2021 coronation night will unfold on Sunday at 2 am, Philippine time, and will be aired via satellite through the CNN Philippines network. The Mister Supranational 2021 final show, on the other hand, will unfold also on Sunday at 10 pm, Philippine time, and will be live streamed on the KTX and Globe Upstream platforms.

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Images from Facebook/Dindi Pajares and John Adajar