11 Spelling Bee finalists: 9 Indian kids!

'We look forward to seeing them show off their knowledge and hard work as they square off against the dictionary on the national stage.'

After skillfully advancing through all virtual rounds of the national competition, 11 spellers will compete for the champion title during the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals on July 8.

The competition's virtual Semifinals kicked off on Sunday, June 27, at 7 pm. The 30 remaining spellers competed in a suspenseful three rounds: Two spelling rounds and a word meaning round.

'We are honored to introduce our 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists. 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," said Dr J Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee.

'Congratulations to all of this year's 209 national qualifiers - they've persevered over a year that has been challenging in many ways, and our team is proud to have witnessed their journey.'

The 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists are:

• Roy Seligman, 12, from Nassau, The Bahamas. Sponsored by The Ministry of Education.

• Bhavana Madini, 13, from New York. Sponsored by NYC Regional Spelling Bee.

• Sreethan Gajula, 14, from Charlotte, North Carolina. Sponsored by the Carolina Panthers.

• Ashrita Gandhari, 14, from Leesburg, Virginia. Sponsored by Loudoun County Public Schools.

• Avani Joshi, 13, from Loves Park, Illinois. Sponsored by Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education.

• Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from New Orleans. Sponsored by New Orleans Chapter of The Links.

• Vivinsha Veduru, 10, from Fort Worth, Texas. Sponsored by Texas Christian University.

• Dhroov Bharatia, 12, from Dallas. Sponsored by Dallas Sports Commission.

• Vihaan Sibal, 12, from Waco, Texas. Sponsored by Rapoport Holdings, LLC.

• Akshainie Kamma, 13, from Austin, Texas. Sponsored by West Austin Chamber of Commerce.
• Chaitra Thummala, 12, from San Francisco. Sponsored by Bay Area Regional Spelling Bee.

The 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion will receive:

• A $50,000 cash prize.
• A Commemorative medal and the Scripps Cup, the official championship trophy of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
• A $2,500 cash prize and reference library from the Bee's dictionary partner Merriam-Webster.
• $400 of reference works, including a 1768 Encyclopaedia Britannica Replica Set and a three-year membership to Britannica Online Premium.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/ Rediff.com