Texas, USA (CU)_ According to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the 2021 Spelling Bee competition will commence on June 12 virtually, and the spellers will compete virtually in the preliminaries, quarterfinals, and semifinals of the tournament. On July 8, the leading 10 to 12 spellers will compete in the in-person finals at Walt Disney World Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee has unveiled the final 209 spellers who will compete in the 2021 competition, including dozens of Indian American children racing for the title. If one of the more than 70 Indian American finalists wins this year’s Bee, it will add another credit to the Indian Americans’s dominance in the Bee competition, which dates back to 2008. So far, 21 Indian Americans have become champions or co-champions throughout 12 bees, including seven children in the most recent 2019 competition. The 2020 Bee competition was called off owing to the global pandemic of COVID-19.
Dr. J. Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee stated, “The Scripps National Spelling Bee is back, and with it, the tradition of watching a tremendous group of spellers take on the dictionary”. He added, “We look forward to celebrating our 209 national finalists and all they’ve accomplished over the last year. To our audiences watching at home: tune in – on your mobile devices, laptops or televisions – and help us cheer on these truly exceptional young scholars”.
To prevent an eight-way tie like that of 2019, the Bee announced the addition of word meaning rounds, which is a new platform for spellers to demonstrate their word knowledge from the microphone, as well as the possibility of a final spell-off. Finally, a $50,000 cash reward will be awarded to the winning kid, who is between 9 and 15 years old. Visit www.spellingbee.com for a complete list of the final spellers, including the 70 Indian Americans and 47 returning finalists, and the event schedule.
