Contact Members/Sign Up Reg Form

12-Year-Old Indian-American Wins Prestigious National Spelling Bee in the US

Photo : AP

Washington: Bruhat Soma, a 12-year-old Indian-American seventh-grade student from Florida, emerged victorious in the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday. Bruhat's win earned him more than $50,000 in cash and other prizes, solidifying the continued dominance of Indian-American students in this prestigious competition.

The contest concluded with an intense tiebreaker round, where Bruhat correctly spelled 29 words in 90 seconds. His opponent, Faizan Zaki, managed to spell 20 words correctly in the same time. Bruhat's championship word was “abseil,” defined as “descent in mountaineering by means of a rope looped over a projection above.” Bruhat's flawless performance in the tiebreaker, where he attempted 30 words, made it clear he was unbeatable. Faizan, on the other hand, attempted 25 words but misspelled four.

Stay informed with the latest news. Follow DXB News Network on WhatsApp Channel  

The organizers praised Bruhat, stating, “Bruhat Soma rules the word! The Champion of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee! The boy with the unbelievable memory didn't miss a word all week and takes home the Scripps Cup!” They also highlighted that Bruhat's performance broke the standing spell-off record set by Harini Logan in 2022, who had spelled 22 out of 26 words correctly.

Corrie Loeffler, executive director of the Bee, commended both finalists, saying, “As the competition progressed, it was clear that Faizan and Bruhat – our final two spellers – showed up tonight ready to take down the dictionary. Together, they were a powerful match.” The spell-off allowed these stellar spellers to showcase their skills further, with each having 90 seconds to spell as many words as they could from a predetermined list while the other was sequestered.

Adam Symson, president and CEO of The E W Scripps Company, presented Bruhat with the championship trophy. Symson remarked, “At just 12 years old, Bruhat impressed with his display of knowledge and composure.”

This was Bruhat's third time participating in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. In 2023, he tied for 74th place, and in 2022, he tied for 163rd place. Coached by 16-year-old former speller Sam Evans, Bruhat had previously won the Words of Wisdom Bee and SpellPundit Bee before arriving in Washington, D.C., for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Bruhat's father, Srinivas Soma, is originally from Nalgonda in Telangana.

The 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee had eight finalists, five of whom were Indian-Americans: Rishabh Saha, 14, and Shrey Parikh, 12, from California; Aditi Muthukumar, 13, from Colorado; and Ananya Rao Prassanna, 13, from North Carolina. Faizan Zaki, the runner-up, received $25,000, while Shrey Parikh and Ananya Prassanna, who tied for third place, each received $12,500.

Indian-American Dev Shah won last year's Bee by correctly spelling "psammophile," and Harini Logan was the 2022 champion. The Scripps National Spelling Bee, launched in 1925, is the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program. It is a high-profile, high-pressure endurance test where spellers spend months preparing. The Bee was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, there were eight co-champions, seven of whom were Indian-Americans. Since 1999, twenty-nine Indian-Americans have emerged as champions.

This year, 245 spellers participated in the competition, with 65 having previously competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Notably, 24 spellers, mostly Indian-Americans, had relatives who had participated in a combined 40 Scripps National Spelling Bees. Four 2023 finalists advanced to the 2024 competition: Sarah Fernandes (tied for 10th place), Aryan Khedkar (tied for fifth), Tarini Nandakumar (finished ninth), and Shradha Rachamreddy (tied for third). Additionally, Aliyah Alpert and Kirsten Santos, who were finalists in 2022, competed again this year. Indian-American Akash Vukoti has qualified for a record six finals between 2016 and 2023.

May 31, 2024 10:35 a.m. 641

#trending #latest #ScrippsSpellingBee #SpellingBeeChampion #BruhatSoma #IndianAmericanPride #SpellingBee2024 #YoungAchievers #AcademicExcellence #WordChamp #SpellingBeeWinner #BeeChamp #LanguageMastery #AcademicCompetition #StudentSuccess #SpellingSuccess #ChampionSpeller #SpellingBeeFinals #breakingnews #worldnews #headlines #topstories #globalUpdate #dxbnewsnetwork #dxbnews #dxbdnn #dxbnewsnetworkdnn #bestnewschanneldubai #bestnewschannelUAE #bestnewschannelabudhabi #bestnewschannelajman #bestnewschannelofdubai #popularnewschanneldubai

Emma Raducanu Reduced to Tears After Security Incident in Dubai

sports / sports globally
Feb. 19, 2025 5:51 p.m. 344

Emma Raducanu targeted by man in Dubai, ejected; she lost to Karolina Muchova...Read More.

Emma Raducanu Reduced to Tears After Security Incident in Dubai

Emma Raducanu targeted by man in Dubai, ejected; she lost to Karolina Muchova

Dubai Industrial City Secures AED 350 Million in F&B Investments in 2024

Dubai Industrial City secured over AED 350 million in food and beverage (F&B) investments in 2024

DHA Announces Additional Standards for Organ and Tissue Donation & Transplantation

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) partners with DTI Foundation-Spain & National Organ Donation Center.

Kim Kardashian Calls Out Kris Jenner For Overshadowing Collab

Kim Kardashian jokes about Kris Jenner stealing the spotlight from her new brand collab

The Role of Technology in Business Growth

Discover how technology drives business growth and enhances success

UAE president rejects Palestinian displacement in talks with Rubio

UAE President rejects Palestinian displacement in talks with U.S. Secretary Rubio

Voices of UAE: From Counting Her Final Days to Saving Lives – Dr. Priya Nair’s Heart-Stopping Battle and Second Birth.

Dr. Priya Rathish Nair, a Specialist Gynecologist at Shifa Al Jazeera Medical Centre in Ras Al Khaimah

DP World Records Highest Cargo Volumes at Jebel Ali Port Since 2015

DP World marks a stellar year for trade, hitting highest container & breakbulk volumes at Jebel Ali since 2015

2025 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix Tickets Now on Sale

Tickets for 2025 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit are now on sale

Get In Touch

3001E, 30 Floor, Aspin Commercial Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

+971 52 602 2429

info@dxbnewsnetwork.com

LAUNCH OF DNN
Follow Us

© DNN. All Rights Reserved.