Ahmedabad: A 14-year-old, Indian-American boy of Gujarati descent Dev Shah, emerged victorious in the esteemed 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee, securing a $50,000 monetary reward after accurately spelling the 11-letter word “psammophile.” Dev is from Ahmedabad. His paternal grandmother lives in New Vadaj. His maternal grandfather and grandmother live in the Bhuyangdev area of the city. Dev’s father was a class-1o topper in Gujarat board exams. His mother is from Nadiad.

Dev, an American citizen who had previously participated in the competition in 2019 and 2021, is now recognized as the 22nd champion with a South Asian background within the last 24 years.

Expressing his astonishment, the 14-year-old Floridian boy remarked, “It feels incredibly surreal. My legs are still trembling,” during the event held in Maryland, United States. Charlotte Walsh, a 14-year-old from Virginia, secured the second position.

Dev skillfully dissected his winning word, “psammophile,” into its Greek roots. He recognized that “Psammo” signifies sand, while “phile” conveys the meaning of love. “Psammophile” is a term defined by Merriam-Webster as describing an organism that thrives in sandy regions.

Dev’s parents displayed visible emotions as they joined him on stage. Out of 11 million contestants worldwide, Dev was among the 11 finalists. The preliminary rounds commenced on Tuesday, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals on Wednesday.

Last year, Harini Logan who is also of Indian descent has emerged as the winner by surpassing another Indian-American contestant, Vikram Raju. DeshGujarat