Latest news with #ScrippsBee
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Spelling Bee champion Faizan Zaki's grandmother watches event live from Khammam, India
Hyderabad: After seven years of relentless preparation, dictionary dives and mental endurance, 13-year-old Faizan Zaki emerged as 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. His win not only brought pride to Allen, Texas, where he currently lives, but also sparked celebrations in Khammam and Hyderabad, the two cities that shaped his family's roots. Although Faizan was born and raised in the US, his ties to Telangana run deep. His paternal hometown is Khammam, where his grandmother — now 83 — still lives. His mother, Dr Arshia Quadri, hails from Hyderabad and is an alumna of Gandhi Medical College. 'Faizan has visited Khammam and Hyderabad several times, the last being in July 2023,' said his father, Anwar Zaki, who has been living in the US since 1997. 'This year, we skipped the trip because of the intense preparation for the competition, but we plan to visit again soon.' Faizan's uncle, Javeed Anwar, who is settled in Dubai, shared how the whole family back in India, Dubai, and the US were glued to the TV for three days. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'My 83-year-old mother watched the event live from Khammam. It's a proud moment for all of us,' he shared. Faizan's win at the Scripps Bee, held in Oxon Hill, Maryland, came after years of persistent effort. He finished as runner-up last year—a rare feat in itself. What sets Faizan apart is the fact that this was his seventh consecutive year participating in the Bee, having started as a toddler at the age of two, when most kids are just learning to pronounce basic words. 'On school days, Faizan dedicated at least four hours each day to prep, while weekends saw his routine stretch beyond eight hours. The grind involved extensive work with coaches, diagnostic sessions to identify tricky word patterns, and exhaustive sessions revising obscure words. It's not just spelling—it's about understanding roots, origins, pronunciation rules, and exceptions,' his father added. This methodical and high-pressure regimen meant that trips to Hyderabad and Khammam have been few and far between in recent years. 'It's been hard not to visit family, because the commitment this competition demands is huge. Hopefully, now that it's done, we can spend more time in India,' his father said.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Faizan Zaki wins Spelling Bee 2025: Where is 13-year old from?
Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, claimed victory at the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, edging out eight other finalists to take home more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. Zaki, last year's runner-up and a favourite going into the competition, triumphed after a tense and dramatic final round. The contest narrowed down to three finalists — Faizan, 11-year-old Sarv Dharavane, and 14-year-old Sarvadnya Kadam. All three initially misspelled their words, forcing an additional sudden-death round. 'It's rare to see this level of late-round drama at the Spelling Bee,' said Paul Loeffler, the Bee's television analyst. In the decisive moment, Zaki correctly spelled éclaircissement, a noun meaning 'a clearing up of something obscure.' FAIZAN ZAKI FINALLY NAILED ÉCLAIRCISSEMENT FTW 🔥🙌 CONGRATS!!! And that's after surviving Chaldee in R20, but before that... #spellingbee — ruletheword335 // TS 🐝 (@ruletheword335) May 30, 2025 Impressively, he spelled the word without asking any clarifying questions, then pumped his fists and collapsed to the floor in celebration. 'I'm really happy,' Zaki said after his win. This year's competition began with 243 young spellers aged 11 to 14, who advanced from local and regional bees across the United States. The event was held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, just outside Washington, D.C. Next year, the competition will move to Constitution Hall in the nation's capital. The Scripps National Spelling Bee, first held in 1925, has crowned 110 champions due to a number of ties in recent years, including an eight-way tie in 2019. The 100th Champion in @ScrippsBee history, Faizan Zaki 🐝 In his fourth time competing at Scripps, Faizan broke through in the championship round spelling éclaircissement to bring home the trophy🏆 Congrats Faizan, well deserved🙌#DallasBIGWins — Dallas Sports Commission (@dallas_sports) May 30, 2025
CBS News
10-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Baltimore County elementary school student heading to Scripps National Spelling Bee
Baltimore County Public Schools announced Thursday that Amelia "Bindi" Ray, a fifth grader at Riderwood Elementary School, is heading to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The national competition will be held from May 27 through May 29 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. "The words I'm studying are very challenging, but I am very excited for this great opportunity," Ray said. According to BCPS, Ray's journey to the Scripps Bee began with her participation in the spelling bee club, which was funded by the Riderwood Elementary School PTA. A teacher, Jennifer Buchman, hosted the club meetings during fifth-grade lunch periods. BCPS said Ray was one of two competitors from Riderwood at the Maryland Regional Bee. The regional competition, presented by the Maryland Sports Commission, involves a 40-minute timed computerized spelling and vocabulary test, taken virtually. Ray won first place and achieved a near-perfect score of 34 out of 35 points. Buchman describes as Ray an outstanding student who loves reading and science, and has a "passion for learning". "She is curious about the natural world, how things work, and demonstrates this curiosity by always letting her interests lead her into excellence in all we do in school and outside of school," Buchman said. According to the Scripps National Spelling Bee website, there are nine other competitors from Maryland. The other competitors are:
