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NFIA congratulates Shrey Parikh on spelling bee win
Parikh's victory came after a three-day competition that drew 247 contestants from across the United States and several other countries.
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Staff Reporter - Fri, 05, Jun 2026
- 01:53 EDT
- 26
National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) has congratulated 14-year-old Shrey Parikh / Facebook
The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) has congratulated 14-year-old Shrey Parikh of California on winning the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, recognizing his achievement after a record-setting performance in the competition's championship spell-off.
In a statement issued by NFIA President Satish Parikh, the organization praised the Indian American student for claiming the national title on May 28 after correctly spelling 32 words in a 90-second spell-off. The performance surpassed the previous spell-off record and secured Parikh the Scripps Cup and the championship.
ALSO READ: Shrey Parikh Wins 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee
Shrey, an eighth-grade student from Rancho Cucamonga, California, emerged victorious after the competition narrowed to a final showdown between him and 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta of Jersey City, New Jersey. According to the NFIA statement, the contest came down to a spell-off following nine rounds of competition.
“Shrey Parikh, 14, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., zipped through a barrage of words in a thrilling spell-off, correctly spelling 32 words in 90 seconds to beat Ishaan Gupta, 12, from Jersey City, N.J., who spelled 25 words correctly,” the statement said.
The organization noted that Parikh, competing in his final year of eligibility for the spelling bee, successfully spelled challenging words during the tiebreaking round.
“As an eighth grader, Shrey was in his final year of bee eligibility, and with speed and agility he deftly spelled words like ‘melengket’ and ‘rapakivi’ to win $50,000 and the Scripps Cup,” the statement said.
Parikh's victory came after a three-day competition that drew 247 contestants from across the United States and several other countries. The championship ultimately was decided in the spell-off, where contestants were given 90 seconds to correctly spell as many words as possible from the same list.
The winning word of the competition was “bromocriptine,” which Parikh spelled correctly to secure the title. He finished ahead of Gupta, who placed second, and Sarv Dharavane of Georgia, who finished third.
In its congratulatory message, NFIA commended the teenager's accomplishment and expressed hopes for his future success.
“NFIA board congratulate Shrey for this achievement and wish him to achieve more in his career,” the statement said.
The statement was signed by Satish Parikh, president of NFIA, a national umbrella organization representing Indian American associations across the United States.
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