Bruhat Soma Is The New Indian American Spelling Bee Champ

Photos: https://spellingbee.com/

India-West News Desk

ANNAPOLIS, MD – In a night filled with anticipation and excitement, 12-year-old Bruhat Soma from St. Petersburg, FL, emerged as the champion of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Bruhat clinched victory in the second-ever spell-off, a dramatic tiebreaker round, by correctly spelling 29 words within 90 seconds. His final and winning word was “abseil,” meaning “a descent in mountaineering by means of a rope looped over a projection above.”

The seventh grader not only secured the prestigious Scripps Cup trophy but also took home a $50,000 cash prize. Bruhat faced stiff competition from Faizan Zaki, a fellow 12-year-old and Indian American from Texas, who spelled 20 words correctly but stumbled on four. The spell-off was intense, with Bruhat’s rapid pace setting a high bar early on. His victory was a testament to his impeccable spelling skills and composure under pressure.

Bruhat’s journey to the top was remarkable, especially considering his previous performances in the Bee. He tied for 163rd place in 2022 and improved to 74th place in 2023. This year, he emerged as a confident and formidable finalist, outspelling 228 other competitors, including seven other finalists. The event, which drew 11 million contestants from around the world, saw Bruhat become the 28th Indian American champion, continuing a notable trend over the past two decades.

Bruhat’s interests extend beyond spelling. According to his profile, he is an avid sports enthusiast, playing and watching basketball with LeBron James as his favorite player. He also enjoys badminton and ping-pong, and plays the snare drum in his middle school band. An enthusiastic reader, Bruhat has a sharp memory, evidenced by his memorization of 80 percent of the Bhagavad Gita, as shared by his proud parents.

The Bee final featured eight competitors, the fewest since 2010. Joining Bruhat and Faizan were Rishabh Saha, Shrey Parikh, Aditi Muthukumar, Ananya Prassanna, Y Liang, and Kirsten Santos.

Rishabh Saha from Merced, CA, was eliminated in the first round after misspelling “desmotrope.”

The competition grew fiercer with each round, and Shrey Parikh from San Bernardino, CA, the youngest finalist at 12, finished in the Top 4 after misspelling “kanin.

Aditi Muthukumar from Denver, CO, improved her ranking from tying for 74th place last year to finishing in the Top 5 this year, before being eliminated on “Lillooet.”

Ananya Prassanna from Charlotte, NC, who tied for 74th place in 2023 and 49th in 2022, ended her Bee journey after misspelling “murrina,” finishing as a finalist in her last Bee.