Karthik Nemmani is in the spotlight after winning the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee competition today. The 14-year-old Indian-American boy proved that he is an absolute wit in the contest where he displayed his sheer masterclass in all the rounds. He won USD 42,000 in cash and a trophy from the Scripps Bee after accurately spelling “koinonia” to become the 14th champion from the community in 11 consecutive years.
Winning the competition was not so easy but an eighth-grader Karthik made it look so. Hailing from McKinney, Texas, he won the spelling competition after several rounds against Naysa Modi, another Indian-American student. It was an intense battle among the spellers, it was the two Indian-Americans, Karthik and Naysa stood out in the initial 516 spellers.
“I had confidence, but I didn’t think it would really happen,” Karthik added. Karthik also received USD 2,500 cash prize (and a complete reference library) from Merriam-Webster, memorable trips to New York and Hollywood as part of a media tour, and a pizza party for their school, as reported by the Washington Post.
“It’s pretty cool to be on stage. It’s what I’ve been dreaming of for years now. I had confidence. I wouldn’t say I expected it. It was a dream come true,” he was quoted as saying by the statement.
Karthik also carried on a longtime trend by becoming the 14th champion of South Asian origin the bee competition has had in 11 consecutive years, which is an impeccable record. Other than being a razor-sharp at spelling, Karthik actively involves in tennis. He also likes robotics.
