International - India & World   

Indian boy, youngest champion of BBC quiz show

London: A 10-year-old Indian boy has emerged as the youngest champion in the history of a BBC quiz show, Junior Mastermind.

David Verghese, who made it to the BBC1 show finals sailing through the heats, had the Jurassic Park trilogy as his specialist subject.

For the final, he chose the life and work of Star Wars director George Lucas as his speciality.

David, a student of Merchant Taylors’ Junior School, Crosby, Merseyside, beat three other boys in the final, securing 31 points — 15 on his specialist subject and 16 in the general knowledge round.

David attributed his success to “reading, reading and more reading,” and said J.R.R. Tolkien, H.G. Wells and Isaac Asimov were his favourite authors.

“I have a passion for books. I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember. I read for at least two hours every night, often more.”

His mother Rama said: “David has an insatiable quest for knowledge. He had wanted to appear on Junior Mastermind ever since he first watched it three years ago, but the rules were quite clear that no one younger than 10 was allowed to apply.”

David was introduced to Star Wars by his father, George. — PTI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

LTTE denies Tiger chief is injured
China unveils 300-kmph train
Major terror plot, says Saudi Arabia
Junta leaders uneasy as Thailand goes to the polls
Chavez proposes oil barter
U.S. court revokes bail of woman
Kissinger: Indira felt an almost pathological need to criticise U.S.
Indian troops taught them yoga, learnt martial arts
Indian boy, youngest champion of BBC quiz show

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu