MANILA, Philippines – Chanique Rabe from Namibia was crowned 2021 Miss Supranational in ceremonies staged at the Strzelecki Park Ampitheater in Malopolska, Poland, on Aug. 21 (Aug. 22 in Manila).
The Philippines’ Dindi Pajares finished in the Top 12. She was also first runner-up in the “Miss Elegance” contest.
Rabe is the first African to win the coveted title after besting 57 other aspirants from around the world.
The international pageant had originally scheduled its 12th edition late last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic left the organizers with no choice but to postpone the competition, extending 2019 queen Anntonia Porsild’s reign by almost a year.
This year, the international pageant launched a new campaign, feting the ladies as “aspirational” and “inspirational.”
Puerto Rico’s Karla Acevedo was named first runner-up while second runner-up honors went to Thato Mosehle from South Africa.
Venezuela’s Valentina Sanchez was hailed third runner-up, while Eoanna Constanza from the Dominican Republic rounded up the winners’ circle as fourth runner-up.
Dindi’s journey
An Air Force reservist and flight attendant from Bataan, Dindi only had a little over a week to prepare for her first international pageant.
She was supposed to be crowned at the 2021 Miss World Philippines pageant scheduled on July 25, but the reimposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila prevented the organizers from staging a competition.
Pressed for time, the national pageant organization conducted a poll among the contestants on July 24 to determine who would be sent to Poland to represent the Philippines.
Pajares garnered the most number of votes from her fellow Miss World Philippines contestants.
This is the first time that the Miss World Philippines selected the country’s delegate to the Miss Supranational pageant. The rival Binibining Pilipinas pageant previously held the franchise since 2012.
In 2013, the Philippines’ Johanna Datul became the first Asian to win the Miss Supranational title.