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ESPN to air ‘Spelling Bee Championship’ on 14-15 June
MUMBAI: The 78th Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship, which was held in Washington recently, will be aired on ESPN.
Anurag Kashyap, a 13-year-old expatriate emerged as the winner of the championship. The initial rounds and the final of the Spelling Bee Championship will be aired on ESPN on 14 – 15 June at 5:30 pm.
Kashyap, an eighth grader at Meadowbrook Middle School- Poway CA, beat 273 kids in the US to seal his win in the 19th round of the finals.
He is a second generation NRI and hails from the sate of Bihar. He correctly spelt appoggiatura, a musical grace note to win the ultimate anxiety fest for brainy school kids.
Apart from accolades and recognition, Kashyap won a total of $22,000 in cash plus $5000 college scholarship, a set of Encyclopedia and a $1000 savings bond among other prizes.
He overcame another Indian American kid Samir Patel who stood second in the championship. Its worthwhile to note that kids of Indian origin have won four of the last six and five of the last eight Spelling Bee Championships.
Spelling bee (www.spellingbee.com) is US largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered by The E.W. Scripps Company and over 260 sponsors in the US, Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Guam, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, and American Samoa. Their headquarters office in Cincinnati, Ohio, coordinates the national finals, enrolls sponsors, and produces word lists and study materials.
Each of the 260 sponsors organises a spelling bee program in their community, usually with the cooperation of area school officials. The champion of the sponsors final spelling bee advances to the finals in Washington, DC. The words are selected from the 2005 Paideia (official study booklet) and from Books I and II of the 2005 Sponsor Bee Guides (word lists most sponsors use at their final bees). The only complete source for words is Websters Third New International Dictionary and its Addenda Section, Merriam-Webster, which contains over 470,000 word entries.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
