Indian-American student Bruhat Soma has triumphed in the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition, showcasing exceptional talent by correctly spelling 29 words in the intense tiebreaker round. Following his impressive victory, the Class 7 student shared his thoughts with ANI, reciting a Shloka from the Bhagavad Gita and expressing his belief in the strength and inspiration it provides.
More than 240 spellers competed in this year's Spelling Bee, with eight advancing to the finals on Thursday night.
News agency ANI shared a clip where the 12-year-old is seen reciting a shloka from the Bhagavad Gita.
He mentioned reciting the shloka before stepping onto the stage for the competition.
Soma explained, "I slowly started memorising the Bhagavad Gita, then I began focusing more on spelling, but now I am going to continue finishing the Bhagavad Gita... I do believe in divine power because God makes several things happen."
He shared that he has memorised 80% of the Bhagavad Gita.
Watch the video here:
In the Spelling Bee contest, Bruhat Soma triumphed over Faizan Zaiki, who could only spell 20 words in the lightning round.
Taking to X, Scripps National Spelling Bee stated, "Bruhat Soma from Florida cemented his win by correctly spelling his final word, 'abseil.'"
After securing his victory, Soma described it as "a dream come true" moment.
"When I won, I was excited. I was really happy because, for the past year, I've been working hard. So when I just won, it was like a dream come true," he shared.
The organisers also praised the new Spelling Bee champion, acknowledging his "unbelievable memory."
They enthusiastically declared, "Bruhat Soma rules the word! The Champion of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee! The boy with the unbelievable memory doesn't miss a word all week and takes home the Scripps Cup!"
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