The New South Wales premier's spelling bee concluded with Afeef Ahmed capturing first place after successfully spelling "immemorial" in a sudden-death finish. Finalists progressed through rounds of rehearsed words before facing challenging unprepared terms under the guidance of host Rae Johnston. The battle for the remaining podium spots stretched for five extra rounds until Maximilian Lumley secured second place over Alesha Kahfandi. A diverse group of 34 competitors reached this final stage after advancing past roughly 200,000 public school peers.
Key points
The competition showcased strong diversity, with 23 finalists speaking a language other t…: The competition showcased strong diversity, with 23 finalists speaking a language other than English at home and 18 travelling from regional areas.
Minor spelling slips rapidly eliminated skilled contenders, including returning finalist…: Minor spelling slips rapidly eliminated skilled contenders, including returning finalist Bobby Ivaneza who missed a single letter in "unserviceable."
The contest tested rigorous academic endurance by forcing students to shift from prepared…: The contest tested rigorous academic endurance by forcing students to shift from prepared vocabulary to completely unseen, complex words.
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Competing in a spelling bee is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, the difference between victory and loss is one incorrect vowel and you’re undone, months of training reduced to nought.
At a small theatre hall in Sydney’s west on Friday afternoon, 34 primary school students sit stony-faced on a brightly lit stage, knowing this pressure only too well.
All have made it past about 200,000 students who competed in spelling bees across 1,070 public schools in New South Wales. The finalists earned their place at this year’s state competition after winning online regional finals in August. They represent the top 0.03%. And they’re not here to mess around.
Five are competing for a third time, having progressed to the last stage in the junior competition. Among them are year 5 student Wafiq Ayyash from the Hunter region, who won the junior state title in 2024, and year 6 student Bobby Ivaneza from the inner west, who was runner-up the same year.
Ewan Mattick from the state’s central west, Caleb Borg from the Riverina, and Alesha Kahfandi from the…
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