Meet The Finalists In The Running For This Year’s Mr World Singapore

Male pageants aren’t quite what you’d imagine them to be. Sure, there may still be lots of bare skin as the contestants show off their hot bods in swimming trunks, but let’s just say, they’ve got style and substance. At least, that seemed to be the case when we met 14 of the 25 finalists of this year’s Mr World 2022 pageant.

The diverse group of men arrive from all walks of life, each with a meaningful story to tell — and a compelling reason for them to join the competition. It wasn’t just to celebrate their masculinity, some of them shared about wanting to break the mould of a typical pageant contestant, or being a positive role model to people like them.

We’ve got fitness trainers and hospitality professionals alongside an orthopaedics nurse who drags on the side; a marketing manager who had to overcome a stutter; someone who influences Singapore’s healthcare policies, a firefighter, and naval officer; a road accident survivor who currently has over 20 metal implants in his body; and an ex-convict who had spent 11 years of his life in prison.

In fact, the theme for this year’s Mr World Singapore competition is ‘changing lives’, which acknowledges how our lives have changed during the past two years of living through the pandemic. It also looks at one’s resilience, with the hope that “no matter how things change, the courage and strength with which a man approaches and copes with the obstacles in his life”, and search for deeper meaning, still remains his lifelong pursuit. As a result, our contestants are candid about making new friends and gaining confidence, especially in a competition that might reveal their deepest insecurities, even as it spotlights their strengths.

Handpicked from more than 100 potential candidates, organisers Beam Artistes then narrowed the selection down to just 25 finalists in the Class of 2022, who will gather for Coronation Night on 8 September 2022.

During the finale, 4 grand winners will be awarded, which then makes the evening the biggest male pageant night in Singapore’s history. The titles are: Mr World Singapore 2022, Mr World Singapore Senior 2022 (for finalists 30 and above), Mr Grand International Singapore 2022, and Man of the World Singapore 2022.

To further challenge their skills, the contestants are tasked to compete in various performance challenges — either acting, dancing, singing, or mixed martial arts. This involved them being put through a gruelling weekend, and sometimes weekday, schedule where they’re trained by the respective industry professionals, all in anticipation of a grand finale on Coronation Night.

Here are 14 of the 25 contestants, their current professions, as well as some of the stories they’ve shared with us:

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ALFIE AIDEN TJEN — MARKETING MANAGER OF A HOTEL GROUP, 40 YEARS OLD | Alfie considers himself 'a late bloomer who does things on his own terms', which is evident from his story. As a child, he had struggled with a speech condition that caused him to stutter, which made him the subject on intense teasing; this affected his confidence growing up. Despite this, he has gone on to be part of the cabin crew for Singapore Airlines, and is currently in a communications role for a hospitality group.

AIDID HAIDIL — FULL-TIME FITNESS TRAINER, 26 YEARS OLD | His is a story of triumph, having survived a major road accident days before his enlistment into National Service. He had to undergo an operation that involved inserting 20 metal implants into his body, which meant months of physical recovery and emotional turmoil. Still, he says 'everything happens for a reason'; he's here, scars and all, to show that everyone can be the best versions of themselves, despite facing adversities in life.

AMIT SHARMA — F&B MANAGER, 37 YEARS OLD | Working in one of the top fine dining restaurants in Singapore, Amit carries himself with grace and poise, which isn’t a surprise as much of his professional life sees him involved in hospitality roles, including being part of the cabin crew on Singapore Airlines, as well as experience in five-star hotels. Through these, he has learnt developed 'a skill for identifying very specific needs of an individual', while doing his best to achieve his own goals as well.

ASHGER ALI — STUDENT, 20 YEARS OLD | The youngest finalist in the competition, Ashger is currently a student at Temasek Polytechnic pursuing Aerospace Engineering, with the goal of becoming a commercial pilot. Interestingly enough, at age 14, he was one of 50 Singaporean students selected for a 'Youth Mission To Mars' Global Summit in 2016, a collaboration that involved Space Centre Houston (USA) and Cite de l’espace (City of Space), Toulouse (France). He lives by the motto: 'Perseverance Yields Success'.

CLEMENT TAN — REGISTERED NURSE, 32 YEARS OLD | He works at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital as a senior staff nurse in the orthopaedics department, a demanding role that deals with patients undergoing physical therapy. On the side, he also performs as drag queen Clem De La Creme, most recently at the Drag Qabaret live show, where he's able to show off his talent and interest in acting and singing. Coming from a past of being bullied for his sexuality, his goal is to use the Mr World platform to inspire positivity and acceptance of self, not to impress but to be kind and inspire 'kids out there who are just like me'.

DEXTER SIM — STUDENT, 22 YEARS OLD | The business and marketing student also acts a little on the side, all while spending time outdoors and trying various sports. He said that the competition has helped to build up self-confidence across the last few months, and he has felt the difference in his demeanour after having to meet a whole bunch of new people. His favourite quote: 'Each new day is a new opportunity to improve yourself. Take it and make the most of it.'

JOEL CHUA — NAVAL OFFICER, 26 YEARS OLD | Joel is currently working in the Republic of Singapore Navy as a Naval Officer, which requires more mental fortitude than one would think as they often have to live, days on end, entirely onboard. He's also an avid sportsperson, who started with competitive swimming, followed by canoeing, rugby, and at the moment, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu where he takes parts in both local and overseas competitions. His all-time favourite anime is Naruto and his inspiration for hard work is a character in series, Rock Lee.

JOSHUA HEE — STUDENT, 24 YEARS OLD | A final-year undergraduate in NTU under the school of mechanical engineering, Joshua has an avid interest in crypto and blockchain, both areas where he plans to pursue a career once he graduates. The animal lover also regularly volunteers at an animal shelter, at least once a month, where they often have to deal with abandoned dogs who find themselves without a home; the volunteers help clean, feed, and take care of the animals. Instead of going by an inspirational quote, he chooses to focus on his goal while still treasuring the process of getting to it.

KELVIN ENG — CONTENT STRATEGIST, 27 YEARS OLD | Kevin is a writer, and gets to wield this skill daily thanks to his profession, which requires him both come up with ideas and manage clients, coming up with 'insightful stories to build his clients' brands', something he enjoys. On the side, he's into gaming on his PC, often indulging in world-building and role-playing games such as Final Fantasy IX, The Witcher III, and currently, Genshin Impact.

MOHAMMAD HAIRUL — PERSONAL TRAINER, 37 YEARS OLD | A sporty person who counts most ball sports, athletics and martial arts up his alley, Hairul is also a personal trainer and a member relations executive for a commercial gym. Martial arts teaches him 'self-restraint and patience', enduring traits that, admittedly, haven’t always been there during his teenage years. The ex-convict is also keen on motivating others like himself, as he presently manages a TikTok page posting motivational content.

PHILIP (PHYO LATT) — QUANTITY SURVEYOR, 31 YEARS OLD | His day job sees him working on big government projects as a Quantity Surveyor for a local construction company who often has to work with consultants, clients and contractors. He also talks about growing up in a small town in Southern Myanmar, and moving to Singapore at 17 years old to pursue a diploma; interestingly, joining the school dancing club helped him to better socialise in unfamiliar grounds. The self-declared introvert says dancing helps him express his inner emotions, while he's fluent in contemporary and hip-hop styles.

STANLEY HO — STUDENT, 27 YEARS OLD | He describes himself as a 'happy-go-lucky personality and a free spirit', while the current chemical engineering undergraduate enjoys adventurous activities such as paragliding and scuba diving as well. The dragonboat enthusiast also shares about his experience in the Singapore National Dragonboat team in 2016, which represented Singapore in the Macau International Dragonboat Race; the training was daily and relentless, but remains a pivotal moment in his life as he experienced the meaning of discipline and resilience.

TAVIS LEE — E-COMMERCE CAMPAIGNS EXECUTIVE, 25 YEARS OLD | The young executive has a passion for skincare, evident in his current job as he takes on the role of bringing to life e-commerce campaigns for a major skincare brand. He also shares about his struggles with low self-esteem in the past, being teased for having a birthmark on his cheek, which he ultimately decided to remove two years ago. He’s inspired by the success of young people, 'to never stop trying for anything and to continue striving for the best, regardless of age or background'.

UMAR ABDUL HAMID — HEALTHCARE POLICY SPECIALIST, 34 YEARS OLD | While introducing himself to us, Umar describes both his profession and his role as a 'full-time father'. That said, he's all about advocating good health, whether in his private life or in his day job; his daily routine revolves around making time to exercise, on top of carrying out his daddy duties, while he has to do academic research and write healthcare policies that influence educational programmes in our schools.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY, ADELE CHAN USING LEICA M11 + APO-SUMMICRON-M 50 F/2 ASPH LENS.
Makeup by, CHRISTINA WONG.
hair by, VINTAGE STUDIO HAIR SALON.

More about Mr World Singapore at their Facebook page here.