Who Is Faizan Zaki? Indian-Origin Teen Crowned 100th Spelling Bee Champion

As the Scripps National Spelling Bee celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, a 13-year-old Indian-origin boy from Texas lifted the historic trophy in Maryland on May 29. Faizan Zaki won the title by correctly spelling the French word "éclaircissement." He beat out eight competitors, including 11-year-old Sarv Dharavane and 14-year-old Sarvadnya Kadam, in the final rounds. In fact, Faizan threw away a win earlier in the competition due to a momentary loss of focus. However, he delivered a clutch performance in the final round to take home a massive trophy and a $50,000 (around ₹42 lakhs) cash prize.

Who is Faizan Zaki?

Faizan Zaki is a seventh grader at C.M. Rice Middle School in Plano, Texas. The teenager has also previously competed in Spelling Bee championships, securing second place last year, when he lost to his friend Bruhat Soma in the “spell-off" round. In 2019, he placed 270th; In 2021, he advanced to 21st place.

Besides spelling, Faizan is interested in speed-solving Rubik's cubes, playing video games, learning new languages, and spending time with his friends. His mother, Arshia Qadri, told the New York Times that he started reading at the young age of two. By age three, he had already learnt the capitals of countries. 

When Faizan turned four, his parents' friends recommended he join a school for gifted children. His father, Zaki Anwar, told The Guardian, "He’s the GOAT. He’s really good, man. He’s been doing it for so long, and he knows the dictionary in and out.” Faizan has three coaches, Scott Remer, Sam Evans and Sohum Sukhantankar.

Faizan's parents are immigrants from southern India, according to The Guardian. He also has a twin sister, Zara Jabeen, who is also a gifted child. Although she isn't a Spelling Bee participant, she has reportedly coached other competitors. Faizan hopes to get his sister involved in the competition too.