Miss Grand Int´l 2020: March 15th, the day Grand Slam pageants returned to live!

After 14 days in a hotel room, the Miss Grand International start taking part in this years pageant´s activities

Article written by @hffontes

Natalia Manrique of Colombia smiles and interacts with a Thai street food vendor when her official photo was taken, at the Golden Tulip Sovereign hotel, in Bangkok (photo Global Beauties / Henrique Fontes)

At least for most of the candidates, the quarantine ended and the Miss Grand International competition has really started! Not only Miss Grand International, but Grand Slam contests are finally back on track after more than a year of shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Monday was official photos´ day. Contrary to what usually happens in MGI, the candidates were not photographed with sights of the host city as a backdrop. Organizers took them to the hotel's own parking lot, where local men and women pretended to be selling fruits or actually preparing the famous Thai “street food”. Even colorful tuk tuks were part of the setting! It was a way that the organizers found to protect the participants in these difficult times.

The representatives of Indonesia, Aurra Kharishma, and Czech Republic, Denisa Spergerová, smile as they are taken to the official photos´ setting. (photo Global Beauties / Henrique Fontes)

The day started early. At 6 am, the hair and makeup team led by the talented Patty was already starting to produce the delegates for the photos. At least 50 of them have already completed their quarantine periods and, excited to be out of their rooms, they started to interact and finally get to know each other in “flesh and blood”. Meanwhile, as the sun rose in Bangkok´s sky, the MGI team prepared the stage for the ever-anticipated official photos of the contest!

Brazil was the first to be photographed. With a high-fashion yellow dress, Lala Guedes showed all her experience as a model, not taking much time out of photographers. Soon after came the Filipina representative, Samantha Bernardo, surprising all with a very fashionable hairstyle. Miss Grand Puerto Rico, Fabiola Valentina, charmed everyone with her wide smile and radiant personality.

Miss Grand Myanmar, Hann Tan, who has been expressing her revolt against the situation in her country, where dozens of people have been killed every day during protests against a military coup, on the internet, impresses with her beauty and the strength in her eyes, without forgetting her real duty as her country´s ambassador. It is impossible not to notice the representative of Guatemala, from afar, in the splendor of her 1.85 m in height, in a shiny green dress. Miss Grand Guatemala has a singular elegance and looks good in a photo even carrying a watermelon!

Teresa Chaivisut, vice-president of MGI, sponsors from TQM, the delagates and ted bears smile for the cameras! (photo Global Beauties / Henrique Fontes)

At a certain point, the photos are interrupted for recordings for an insurance company that sponsors the event. The always elegant vice-president of the contest, Teresa Chaivisut, arrives and walks towards the room where the activity will take place. On her way to the room, Miss Iran claims that she wants to get her hair done before the action, but there is no time. The chaperone says her hair looks beautiful and that she can get groomed after that activity. She goes along. After a new distribution of teddy bears, photographs are taken in the first moment in which all the candidates (at least those who are free from quarantine) are together, along with Teresa and the representatives of TQM.

Back to the photos, Miss Grand Mexico, Angela Yuriar, shows what she came for: she is much more impactful in person, looking very beautiful and focused. Venezuela´s own Eliana Roa, impresses with her poise and presence. Miss Wales, Kathryn Fanshawe, is pure charm and personality! The Welsh stunner talks with everyone and is always happy. Miss England, Stephanie Wyatt, is absolutely charming. She tells us that her father died a victim of the covid a month ago, at her side. Wyatt is competing to honor the memory of her father, who has always supported her in beauty pageants.

Miss Grand Vietnam, Nguyen Lê Ngoc Thao, in her colorful gown. (photo Global Beauties / Henrique Fontes)

Vietnam´s Nguyen Lê Ngoc Thao appears with one of the most colorful and full of movement costumes and draws everyone's attention. Still not much noticed by fans on the internet, Pratibha Sambodhi from Sri Lanka seems to be “in the game”: her dark-green dress suits her well and she photographs extremely well, knowing how to flirt with the camera. From Chilean Valentina Benavente, Miss Grand Chile, we expect some of the best photos: how much presence and personality she has!

Suzan Lips, Miss Grand Netherlands, got to be photographed in a tuk tuk, a Thai trademark! (photo Global Beauties / Henrique Fontes).

Colombia, Natalia Manrique, is an explosion of grace! She is very “coqueta”, as they say it in Spanish, and has the face of a doll. The same can be said of the Paraguayan candidate, Daisy Lezcano, and of Miss Grand Peru, Maricielo Gamarra. Miss Grand Spain, Iris Miguelez, was an absolute highlight photographing in a very shiny silver dress. Mariana Varela from Argentina is spectacular from every angle, in addition to being friendly. The Argentine stunner naturally makes herself noticed and has some major pageant experience to help her.

Misses Grand England, Stephanie Wyatt, and Guetmala, Ivana Batch, are interviewed by the Grand TV host (photo Global Beauties/Henrique Fontes).

Sara Duque, Miss Grand Portugal, Tirna Slevin, Miss Grand Ireland, and Suzan Lips, Miss Grand Netherlands, are smart, friendly, interesting people, the kind who speak with their eyes and enjoy every second of their journeys. Still in Europe, there is no way we would not highlight the soft and glamorous beauty of Miss Grand Italy, Filomena Venuso, and the face of a Hollywood actress of Sweden´s Felicia Brunzell!

Russia, Guzel Musina, is a Barbie doll. She is very discreet and elegant, as are the representatives of Crimea, Albania, Kosovo, and Germany.

“Czech” her out! Denisa Spergerová of the Czech Republic looking ravashing during her photo session! (photo Global Beauties/Henrique Fontes).

However, the great highlight in the old continent so far comes from the Czech Republic! Denisa Spergerová was not successful at Miss World 2019, but now she seems to be in the right contest for her! Denisa is extraordinarily beautiful and has a very pleasant aura, being the type of person who fills a room with her light.

It was great to see Miss Grand Kenya, Irene Ng’endo, recovered from the covid. Attention to her, this young woman is beautiful! Miss Grand Dominican Republic, Lady Leon, is another beauty of impact who stands out for her elegance as well. Miss Grand South Africa, Anronet Ann Roelotsz, also photographs quite well. She is also very friendly and supportive of her fellow contestants, with her positive comments.

The hometown girl, Thailand´s Patcharaporn “Nam” Chantarapadit, besides being very pretty, is quite spontaneous and vibrant. She has been an excellent hostess! Aurra Kharishma from Indonesia, as expected, is a “bomb”: beautiful, statuesque, charismatic, very friendly, and impeccably dressed, we risk saying that, on this first day, she was the candidate to beat!

Miss Grand Indonesia, Aurra Kharishma, did everything right on the first day of competition. We give her a perfect 10! (photo Global Beauties / Henrique Fontes).

In addition to the photos, which we are all looking forward to, the candidates began to rehearse. After all, there is no show of the grandeur such as Miss Grand International without hours of daily practice!

It's Miss Grand International and the Grand Slam contests back! Stay tuned for more news at any moment.

A fun moment for Misses Grand Italy, Thailand, Portugal, Indonesia, Germany, and Paraguay. (photo Global Beauties / Henrique Fontes).