Nine of 11 US Spelling Bee 2021 finalists are Indian-Americans
Nine of the 11 finalists for this year's US Spelling Bee contest are Indian-Americans, reflecting the dominance young kids from the small ethnic community have had on this prestigious and high-pressure endurance test for over a decade now. The 11 spellers will compete for the champion title during the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals on July 8, a statement said on Monday.
Spell-off would be activated if a champion hasn't been declared
During the in-person finals, the Bee will have the option of activating a spell-off if needed. The spell-off would be activated in the closing minutes of the competition if a champion hasn't yet been declared in a traditional, one-person, one-word round. "We are honored to introduce our 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists," said Dr. J Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee.
Looking forward to seeing them on national stage: Dr. Durnil
"Round after round, this group of spellers proved their mettle, and we look forward to seeing them show off their knowledge and hard work as they square off against the dictionary on the national stage," Dr. Durnil said, "Congratulations to all of this year's 209 national qualifiers, they've persevered over a year that has been challenging in many ways," he said.
Final rounds will be broadcast live
The National Bee is a high-profile, high-pressure endurance test as much as a nerd spelling match and spellers spend months preparing for it. The final rounds of this year's contest will be hosted in-person at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, and will be broadcast live in Primetime on ESPN2.
Here are the 11 finalists
Finalists: Roy Seligman, 12, from Nassau, The Bahamas; Bhavana Madini, 13, from New York; Sreethan Gajula, 14, from Charlotte, North Carolina; Ashrita Gandhari, 14, from Leesburg, Virginia; Avani Joshi, 13, from Illinois; Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from New Orleans. Texas's Vivinsha Veduru, 10; Dhroov Bharatia, 12, from Dallas; Vihaan Sibal, 12, from Texas; Akshainie Kamma, 13, from Texas and, 12, San Francisco's Chaitra Thummala.
The Bee had eight co-champions in 2019
Over the past 20 years, Indian-Americans have been dominating the Spelling Bee contest even though they comprise only about one percent of the US population. The Bee was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But there were eight co-champions in 2019, seven of whom were Indian-Americans, bringing the total number of Indian-American champions since 1999 to 26.
