In a nerve-racking, five-hour series of contests at the PIWC-Asokwa auditorium, 16 Areas, seeded into three contesting groups, had their last dance in determining who comes on top in the various contests with their accompanying categories.
The Junior Category of the Bible Bee Contest saw Goaso, Agormanya, Achimota and Kwadaso areas, unleashing the verses of scriptures they had committed to memory.
The 1st and 2nd Semi-Final encounters saw Goaso and Kwadaso Areas, sailing through to the Grand Finale with Agormanya gaining a late ticket after the winning the playoff over Achimota.
Surprisingly, an overwhelming display of courage and determination saw the defending champions amass 144.25 points in the 3rd round known as the ‘home stretch’ to set the win it and become the 1st Area to win and successfully defend their trophy in the Junior Category- Bible Bee Contest.
Kwadaso and Goaso areas followed suit in 2nd and 3rd place with 302 points and 289.85 points respectively.
The Senior Category of the Bible Bee Contest on the other hand saw Ho Area gliding past Kwadaso and Tarkwa in the Grand Finale to lift up the trophy.
The Ho Area led by Andrews Helegbe couldn’t make it to the Grand Finale of the 2022 edition held last year. Unperturbed by the defeat, he prepared-in-wait and kept knocking at the door of opportunity sailed through this time round, accumulating 421.5 points to lift the trophy.
Tarkwa Area emerged 1st runner up earning 399 points while Kwadaso Area finished 3rd with 380.25 points.
The Junior Category of the Questions and Answers Contest on the other hand saw Goaso Area etching their names in the quiz hall of fame for the first time after seeing off Dansoman and Suame Areas with a whooping 35.5 points maintaining a 12.5 point-gap advantage over Dansoman Area who bounced back from an initial defeat and play-off amassing 23 points.
Suame Area saw the tide turned against them as they came behind Dansoman Area with 21.5 points, whom they defeated in the Semis.
The last contest that saw a charged euphoria and effervescent cheers and applause, was the Senior Category – Questions and Answers Contest with Wa, Kaneshie and Bompata Areas battling for glory. Kaneshie and Bompata Areas entered the contest as favourites to win the ultimate with Wa Area coming through the back door as underdogs.
Nevertheless, they left no stone unturned, capitalising upon every bonus question that went abegging. In all three rounds, prior to the Problem of the Day Round, Wa laid behind Kaneshie in 2nd place with 37 points, only a 1.5 point-gap separating them.
It was soon to be discovered that the Problem of the Day was going to be the decider of the fates of these three contesting.
The outcome of the Problem of the Day Round saw Wa Area overtaking Kaneshie Area in 1st place with 41.5 points. Kaneshie who could only earn a point from the last round couldn’t help but fall to 2nd place with Bompata Area coming third.
That was indeed a record-making feat achieved in the history of the quiz. The first ever northern side to lift a trophy in the history of the National Youth Quiz Competition since its inception.
Report by NYQC Editorial Team
