SEONI’S NIPUN SINGH FIRST RUNNER-UP AT MANHUNT INTERNATIONAL: EYES BOLLYWOOD ENTRY AFTER COLOMBO TITLE WIN, FOLLOWING JOHN ABRAHAM, DINO MOREA

Nipun Singh from Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, has made India proud at the international men’s modelling competition Manhunt International 2026. Nipun finished as the first runner-up at the grand finale held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on September 9. France’s Dylan Palmarini won the title.

Nipun’s achievement is India’s best performance in the competition in the past 25 years. Before him, Rajiv Singh won the Manhunt International title in 2001.

Nipun represented India at the international competition after winning the Rubaru Mr India Manhunt International 2025 title. This is the third time India has finished as the first runner-up at Manhunt International. Dino Morea achieved the feat in 1995, followed by John Abraham in 1999.



In the finale, Nipun was first announced as the 16th contestant among the top 20 and then made it to eighth place among the top 10. In the final stage, the representatives of India and France faced each other.

After a long wait, France’s Dylan Palmarini was declared the winner, while Nipun was named the first runner-up. Nipun said he felt disappointed for a moment at not winning the title, but accepted the result with full respect. He believes that people get what they deserve.



LEARNED TO PLAY TABLA, PLAYED BASKETBALL AT NATIONAL LEVEL TWICE

Born in Seoni on August 6, 1999, Nipun’s grandparents on both his father’s and mother’s sides still live in Seoni. His father worked at the State Bank of India.

Because of his father’s transfers, Nipun received his early education at St Aloysius College in Rimjha, Jabalpur. Alongside his studies, Nipun developed an interest in music and sports. He learnt to play the tabla from Class 4 to Class 10. He also plays the guitar.

Nipun has been playing basketball since Class 7 and has competed at the national level twice. He has also captained his college and university teams. Recently, he won the Karnataka State Championship. He has also played volleyball, football and cricket.