Two-time champions of the National Science & Maths, Opoku Ware School have suffered yet another defeat at the quarterfinal stage of this year’s edition of the competition ongoing at the University of Ghana.
Opoku Ware School were crashed out of the contest alongside New Juaben SHS by Volta region based Mawuli School in a heated competition.
This is the third time in two years the “Akatakyies” have lost a contest to a Volta Region based institution.
In the 2016 edition of NSMQ, Opoku Ware School had their campaign cut short by Keta SHTS in the one-eighth stage of the competition.
The following year, they fought their way through the Ashanti regional contest and qualified for NSMQ2018 only to be beaten by debutants, Sonrise SHS at the preliminary stage of the competition.
Fortunately, the 1997 and 2002 victors, Opoku Ware School were part of the 18 highest scoring losing schools to progress to the next stage of the competition.
Sadly, they couldn’t make it past the quarterfinals as they were eliminated by Mawuli School in the fifth quarterfinal contest.
Opoku Ware School dominated almost all the contest but kept dissipating their points in the penultimate round of the contest.
At the end of Round four, Opoku Ware School had 41 points leading the eventual winners, Mawuli School with three points while New Juaben SHS lagged behind with 21 points.
In the final round of riddles, Mawuli School unraveled the first two riddles to take the lead from their rivals, but Opoku Ware School and New Juaben SHS never gave up, answering the two remaining riddles correctly; forcing the competition to be decided in a sudden death round.
New Juaben SHS had 24 points at the end of the final round with Opoku Ware School and Mawuli School tied up with 44 points.
In the tie-breaking contest, it was Ajuisiwon Azantilow, contestant of Opoku Ware School who quickly rang the bell first but failed to correctly answer the question.
Wisdom Okwen, contestant of Mawuli School, then capitalized on the situation; composed his response and delivered the right answer to the question to push their school through to the semifinals of the 2018 National Science & Maths Quiz.
This will be Mawuli School’s second time in secession making it to the semis and perhaps the first time to the finals should they win their next contest.
All three schools had cash prizes from the Money Zone sponsored by GCB Bank.
The contestants and Team Coaches of Opoku Ware School and New Juaben SHS had Eight Hundred and Eighty Ghana Cedis (GHS880.00) and Four Hundred and Eighty Ghana Cedis (GHS480.00) respectively.
The winners, Mawuli School, also walked away with nine hundred and forty Ghana cedis Only (GHS940.00) for the contestants and teacher. They also received Five Hundred Ghana Cedis Only (GHS500.00) from Bond Savings & Loans for winning the quarterfinal contest.
The winners of the last two contests will battle it out with Mawuli School in the semifinals for a place in the Grand Finale at the National Theatre on Thursday, July 5, 2018.
Keta SHTS will take on Archbishop Porter Girls’ SHS and Koforidua Sec. Tech in the fifth quarterfinal contest with St. Thomas Aquinas SHS taking on St. Peter’s SHS and Wesly Girls High School in last contest of the day.
The winners of the second and third contests will battle it out with Mfantsipim School in the first semifinal contest on Monday, July 2, 2018.
The National Science & Maths Quiz and Science Festival is sponsored by the Ghana Education Service through the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), with support from GCB Bank, GTP, Lancaster University Ghana, Academic City College, Medifem Multi-Specialist Hospital, Accra College of Medicine, Hawtie Makeup, West African Centre for Cell Biology for Infectious Pathogens and Awake Purified Drinking water. The Sci-Tech Fair is sponsored by Goil, Prudential Life Insurance Ghana, and Tullow, while Bond Savings & Loans and RMG Ghana Ltd are sponsoring the Mentorship Sessions.
