Last weekend, we witnessed 302 students out of the 889 who entered the competition sail through to the quarter finals from the Eastern Province fight it out for the 34 seats to the Semi Finals of 250.
The quarter finals deemed to be much tougher than the preliminary dictation rounds that the contestants faced, with some getting out within the 1st round, where 2 words are given to each contestant to spell.
There were four schools that did brilliantly, namely, Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies’ College Trincomalee, St.Cecilia's Girls’ Maha Vidyalaya Batticaloa, Kinniya Muslim Girls' Maha Vidyalam and R. K. M. Sri Koneshwara Hindu College Trincomalee; all four schools had 4 contestants qualify to the semis. R. K. M. Sri Koneshwara Hindu College Trincomalee had 18 students getting through to the quarter finals and St.Cecilia's Girls’ Maha Vidyalaya Batticaloa had 16 participating.

As the competition draws closer to the top 250 spellers in the island, the words the competitors have to face are much tougher and the competitors themselves a bundle of nerves. The following are the 34 competitors from Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara who qualified to participate in the Semi Finals consisting of 250 students;

Sainul Hussain Mohammed Wakeel Bt/Oddamavady National School
Abul Kalees Kamis Kalees Km/Al-Manar Central College
Viruja Vigneshwaran T/Agrabodhi National School
B. G. Shanika Aruni T/Agrabodhi National School
Narmatha Sangaralingam T/Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies’ College
Shankeerna Subendran T/Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies’ College
Sheromiga Anandajothy T/Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies’ College
Fathima Shifaya Mahroof T/Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies’ College
Crystal Jerusha Mathews Bt/St.Cecilia's Girls’ Maha Vidyalaya
Gajani Nallathamby Bt/St.Cecilia's Girls’ Maha Vidyalaya
Lourdes Shayanthini Canagaretnam Bt/St.Cecilia's Girls’ Maha Vidyalaya
Madumai Ketharam Bt/St.Cecilia's Girls’ Maha Vidyalaya
N. Muhammed Hassan T/Kinniya Al-Aqza College
Raufeek Fathima Liqa T/Kinniya Muslim Girls' Maha Vidyalam
D. Seeras Banu T/Kinniya Muslim Girls' Maha Vidyalam
F. Aisina T/Kinniya Muslim Girls' Maha Vidyalam
A. G. Fathima Sabrina T/Kinniya Muslim Girls' Maha Vidyalam
Pavithra Thevasingam Bt/Vincent Girls’ High School
A. P. Nivetha Km/Wesley High School
M. Akeel Ahamed T/Kinniya Central College
K. Rohini T/Methodist Girls' College
N. Vijayatharshini T/Methodist Girls' College
S. Marisha T/St. Mary's College
J. Aaraly T/St. Mary's College
M. Vyshali T/St. Mary's College
M. I. M. Imdad Bt/Al-Hira Maha Vidyala
M. M. Rana Bt/Meera Balika Maha Vidyalaya
Y. Harishnavi Bt/Valaichchenai Hindu College
M. N. F. Raiza Hasmath Km/Mahmud Ladies’ College
G. Shiyamnesh T/R. K. M. Sri Koneshwara Hindu College
K. Jaiyanth T/R. K. M. Sri Koneshwara Hindu College
R. Kajanthan T/R. K. M. Sri Koneshwara Hindu College
R. Nishgar T/R. K. M. Sri Koneshwara Hindu College
J. Dushan T/St. Joseph's College

The programme this year is partnered by Sirasa TV with the print media partners the Daily Mirror and Sunday Education Times.

Catch the action this Sunday on Sirasa TV at 6 pm.