KARACHI: With the participation of over 550 schools from across the country, the national championship of the Fourth Dawn in Education Spelling Bee concluded on Tuesday with teams from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad taking part.

Students of the Aitchison College were adjudged winners of two categories while the third category was won by a student of the E.M.S. High School Senior Branch.

The Saturday Magazine competition was held for the 9 to 11 years age group. The competition consisted of two rounds. The first round was the Young World round and the second the Sci Tech World round. At the end of the two rounds, the participants competed in the “Win the Bee Round” for top three spellers.

Saif Humayun Maqbool of Aitchison College, Lahore emerged as the champion with Laiba Ejaz of Roots School System, Rawalpindi, the first runner-up and Arsalan Afzal of Bay View High School, Middle School Branch, Karachi, the second runner-up.In the 12 to 14 years age group, three rounds were held the Young World, the Sci Tech World and the Dawn Sports and Athletic.

M. Zohair of Aitchison College (Main), Lahore, bagged the top position, with Samra Jameel of The City School, North Nazimabad Girls Branch, Karachi, the first runner-up and Amna Ahmad of Generation School, North Nazimabad Branch, Karachi the second runner-up.

In the 15 to 17 years age group, three basic rounds were played Dawn Current Affairs, Dawn Arts and Culture and Dawn Economic and Social issues.

The winners were: Fariya Kaleem of E.M.S. High School Senior Branch, Islamabad, champion; Zainab Khowaja of E.M.S High School Senior Branch, Islamabad the first runner-up and Rameel Sethi of Roots School System, Rawalpindi, the second runner-up.

At the end of the competition, Ehsan Malik, chairman of Unilever, gave away prizes to the winners and all the participants.

At the finals the pronouncer was Mrs Sue Gilbert and judges were Mrs Ameena Sayyid from Oxford University Press, Mrs Zenobia Master and Ms Rabeea Salman.