Indian American Bruhat Soma wins 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee

MARYLAND: Bruhat Soma, a seventh grader, claimed the US National Spelling Bee champion title along with a Scripps Cup trophy and a check for $50,000 after correctly spelling a 90-second spell off against the second runners up 12-year-old Faizan Zaki from Texas.

Twelve-year-old Bruhat spelled 29 words correctly in the tiebreaker, beating Zaki by nine, to win the title on Thursday night. His winning word was “abseil”, meaning “a descent in mountaineering by means of a rope looped over a projection above”.

Bruhat went first, and after he got through 30 words, it appeared like it would be impossible to beat. Faizan’s pace was more uneven at the outset. He attempted 25 words, but flubbed four of them.

#Speller47 Bruhat Soma from Florida cemented his win by correctly spelling his final word, “abseil.” pic.twitter.com/SQtRZZvYHH

— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) May 31, 2024

The Scripps National Spelling Bee attracted 11 million contestants from around the world, and Soma emerged as one of the most confident finalists. He is the 28th Indian-American to have held the title. The 12-year-old beat 228 other competitors, including 7 finalists on Thursday night.

Bruhat previously competed in 2022 (tied for 163rd place) and 2023 (tied for 74th place). According to his profile, Bruhat is a multifaceted person with many interests and hobbies. He loves to play and watch basketball, and his favourite player is LeBron James. He also likes to play badminton and Ping-Pong, which clearly shows his passion for sports.

Bruhat also has a passion for music, playing snare drum in his middle school band. He is an avid reader who will devour any book on which he can get his hands.

The champions’ parents and sisters were also present at the event and said that they were very proud of their son’s accomplishment. Bruhat mother also shared that her son has a sharp memory and has memorized 80 per cent of the Bhagawat Gita.

The preliminary rounds took place on Wednesday, while the quarterfinals and semifinals followed on Thursday. This year, six of the eight finalists are of South Asian descent including Indian Americans.

Over the past 20 years, Indian Americans have come to dominate the Scripps National Spelling Bee — a group that makes up about 1.3 per cent of the US population. The annual event has been synonymous with Indian Americans, and this year’s cohort includes a majority number. (ANI)