The 72nd Miss World Festival continues to thrill global audiences with its dynamic fast-track challenges, and the recently concluded Sports Challenge Competition has added fresh momentum to the race for the crown. Held as one of the key preliminary events, the Sports Challenge is designed to test contestants on physical fitness, athleticism, teamwork, and mental endurance—crucial qualities that reflect discipline, determination, and sportsmanship.
Zambia’s Faith Bwalya took part in sprints, relays, and team sports, showcasing commendable effort and spirit. However, despite her enthusiasm and determination, she did not make it into the Top 32 finalists for this segment. Representing the region with pride, Bwalya’s journey is far from over as more opportunities remain to secure a spot in the Top 40.
Several neighbouring representatives made an impression in this challenge, including participants from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Angola, who successfully advanced to the next stage. Other African countries that shined included Nigeria’s Joy Mojisola Raimi, Ethiopia’s Hasset Dereje Admasu, Kenya’s Grace Ramtu, and Somalia’s Zainab Jama, reinforcing Africa’s strong presence in the competition.
The winner of the Sports Challenge was Estonia’s Eliise Randmaa, who impressed judges and spectators alike with her strength and stamina. This victory earned her a guaranteed place in the Top 40—a milestone Estonia has not reached in the Sports Challenge since 1999. Martinique’s Aurélie Joachim and Canada’s Emma Morrison completed the winners’ podium, taking silver and bronze respectively.
The Miss World Festival includes multiple fast-track events beyond the Sports Challenge. These include Talent, Top Model, Multimedia, Head-to-Head, and the highly prestigious Beauty With A Purpose. Victories in any of these categories can lead to an automatic qualification for the Top 40, out of a pool of 110 global contestants. Those who do not win these events can still advance through cumulative scoring, judges’ selections, and regional qualifications.
Faith Bwalya remains in strong contention as she prepares for the remaining challenges. With the competition set to select 10 representatives from each continent—Africa, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and the Americas/Caribbean—for the Top 40, Bwalya has multiple chances to increase her standing through performance and perseverance.
From the continental Top 10, only five will proceed to the next round, which will later be narrowed down to two, with one finalist from each continent earning a place in the global Top 4. These four finalists will compete for the Miss World crown, while the remaining three will take the 1st to 3rd runner-up positions.
The grand finale of the 72nd Miss World pageant will be held on 31st May 2025 at the HITEX Convention Center, where global attention will turn to witness the crowning of the next Miss World.
Faith Bwalya may not have made the cut in the Sports Challenge, but the journey continues—and her supporters remain hopeful as Zambia pushes forward in one of the world’s most prestigious beauty and purpose-driven competitions.