There was a hush all around the stage. No one wanted to take their eyes off the two genius children who now sat facing their biggest challenge. Who would lift the trophy of one of the most prestigious events held annually in the United States? And, the finale was nothing that was expected!
The 89th Scripps National Spelling Bee Competition was conducted at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center situated in the picturesque town of National Harbor, Maryland on the 24th of this month. This is the annual pilgrimage site for all those talented youngsters who have been put under the S-P-E-L-L of spelling! Every year we see thousands of kids out-spelling each other in order to be declared the brightest in the country. And, this year was certainly no different!
There were two hundred and eighty four contestants at the beginning of the contest. This contest saw many familiar faces, as there is no bar on the reappearance of the candidates of the previous years from competing again. Most of these talented kids were in the age group of six to fifteen, but this year had a special entry in the form of Class-One student Akash from Texas.
After a tough written test and an even tougher oral round, the 45 finalists were finally selected to participate in the main events. Again after subsequent rounds, most of these children had to bid adieu to their dreams as well. At the end of seven really stressful rounds, the judges were able to get 10 of the smartest spellers amongst the millions that had applied.
This year’s finals were certainly a nail-biting event. This year too saw the emergence of two winners. Jairam Hathwar and Nihar Janga were declared co-champions after sparring each other for a total of 24 championship rounds.
It certainly was a disappointing day for golf–loving Americans. Golf enthusiasts around the world were beside themselves with excitement as they watched some of the biggest names in golf take part in the annual Masters Tournament that was held during the first seven days of this month. The Masters Tournament or just The Masters is one of the four major championship events that happen in professional golf every year, the others being the PGA Tour, the European Tour and last but not the least, the Japan Golf Tour. As usual, the Augusta National Golf Club provided the spectacular playing field that is required as the venue for an event of such magnitude as this. The Masters Tournament also provides its winners with whopping prize money going beyond a million dollars.
Wow! Imagine a country like Panama being caught up in a scandal of epic proportions! This Latin-American country is now at the center of a scandal that has had political ramifications felt all the way to Russia. And, Mr. Putin seems totally unfazed by all this.