Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], August 31 (ANI): Cuba's Jhoanna Uranga has been crowned Miss Teen International 2026 at the grand finale held in Jaipur, taking over the title from Spain's Lorena Ruiz.
Uranga emerged as the winner after competing against contestants from more than 30 countries. The pageant featured several rounds of judging, with the finalists getting a chance to present themselves before the judges and the audience.
Speaking to the media after her win, Uranga said that she had been preparing for the pageant for more than three years. She said the effort she put into her preparation finally paid off.
"I was preparing for this for over 3 years, and honestly, all the hard work, the preparations, all the classes I have taken have truly paid off because this is one of my biggest dreams and it just came true," she said.
Namibia's Chantel Boeren was named the first runner-up, while Paraguay's Giuliana Ocariz finished as the second runner-up. Andrea Almestica of the USA was named the third runner-up and Darelys Nico of the US Virgin Islands became the fourth runner-up.
The competition saw contestants from countries including Canada, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Namibia, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Spain, Sri Lanka, the United States, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe, among others.
Speaking on the result, Nikhil Anand, owner of Miss Teen International, congratulated Uranga and said the final choice was not easy. "I'm so happy that the girls brought such an exceptional performance to the world, and it was a difficult choice to make. Congratulations to Cuba, which got its first Miss International crown, and we're looking forward to working with her (Jhoanna Uranga of Cuba)," Anand said.
Anand also praised Uranga's performance during the finale and spoke about India's result. He said the Indian contestant came close to winning the title but missed the chance by a little margin.
"She's a great candidate, and she performed exceptionally well today... I always say it's a competition. Sometimes things might go well; sometimes things might not go well. And India missed the chance by a little margin," he added.
The grand finale was judged by Miss Universe India 2026 Kezia Liz Mejo, Miss Teen International president Nikhil Anand and Miss India International 2026 Vaishnavi Ganesh. (ANI)
Cuba's Jhoanna Uranga takes home Miss Teen International 2026 crown, calls win a "dream come true"
