Cuba’s Jhoanna Uranga has been crowned Miss Teen International 2026 at the grand finale in Jaipur, beating contestants from more than 30 countries to claim the prestigious title. The young beauty queen, who succeeds Spain’s Lorena Ruiz, said the victory fulfilled a dream she had spent more than three years preparing for.
Uranga emerged victorious after progressing through multiple rounds of the international pageant, where contestants were assessed as they presented themselves before the judges and the audience.
Reflecting on the result after the finale, Uranga said years of preparation had finally delivered the moment she had hoped for.
"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.
Her win sees Cuba take the Miss Teen International crown, with Uranga succeeding Spain’s Lorena Ruiz.
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Namibia’s Chantel Boeren secured the first runner-up position, while Paraguay’s Giuliana Ocariz was named second runner-up.
Andrea Almestica of the United States finished as the third runner-up, with Darelys Nico of the US Virgin Islands taking the fourth runner-up spot.
The competition brought together contestants representing a wide range of 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.
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Nikhil Anand, owner of Miss Teen International, congratulated Uranga and acknowledged the difficulty of selecting the winner after the finale.
"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 highlighted Uranga’s showing during the finale and reflected on India’s performance in the competition. According to him, the Indian contestant came close to taking the title but narrowly missed out.
"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.
#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan: On the sidelines of the grand finale of Miss Teen International 2026, Nikhil Anand, owner of Miss Teen International, said, "I'm so happy that the girls brought such an exceptional performance to the world, and it was a difficult choice to make.… pic.twitter.com/VOqI8OqhXi
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 31, 2026
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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.
With her victory in Jaipur, Jhoanna Uranga now becomes the new Miss Teen International, marking a major moment for Cuba on the international pageant stage.
(With inputs from ANI)
