A 14-year-old boy of Indian origin on Thursday won the latest edition of the US Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Dev Shah won the contest after he correctly spelt “psammophile,” which refers to organisms that live in sandy areas. He was awarded a prize of $50,000 (around Rs 41 lakh).
That trophy hoist by #Speller36 Dev Shah though… #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/6SYrY9MC0a
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) June 2, 2023
Shah defeated Charlotte Walsh, 14, from Arlington, Virginia. Walsh, an eighth-grader, finished second after she misspelt “daviely,” a Scottish-rooted word for listlessly, in the 14th round.
“It’s surreal,” Shah said after his win, according to The New York Times. “…My legs are still shaking.”
The high-profile contest is closely followed by students and their parents across the United States and the finals are broadcast on prime time television.
The contest has largely been dominated by students of Indian descent. Members of the…
