The Ashanti Region is set for another fiercely contested edition of the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) Regional Qualifiers, with 98 senior high schools competing for places at this year's national championship.

The schools will battle across 21 contests in a bid to secure qualification, as one of Ghana's most competitive NSMQ regions once again promises high-stakes encounters and potential upsets.

The Ashanti Region has long been regarded as a powerhouse of the competition, producing several of the country's most successful quiz schools. This year's qualifiers feature a mix of former national contenders, experienced competitors and emerging schools hoping to earn their place on the national stage.

Among the schools expected to draw attention are Kumasi Academy (KUMACA), KNUST SHS, Kumasi High School, St. Louis SHS and Yaa Asantewaa Girls' SHS.

Despite their rich history in the competition, all five schools return to the regional qualifiers after missing automatic qualification for the 2026 championship.

For these schools, the campaign represents more than a qualification challenge.

It is an opportunity to recover from last year's disappointment and re-establish themselves among Ghana's elite science and mathematics quiz schools.

Several fixtures are already shaping up as standout contests.

KUMACA begins another bid to return to the national championship, while St. Louis SHS, which reached the semi-finals of the 2023 competition, will be aiming to rediscover that form.

KNUST SHS, Kumasi High School and Yaa Asantewaa Girls' SHS are also expected to feature prominently as they seek to avoid early elimination and keep their qualification hopes alive.

However, history suggests the favourites cannot afford to be complacent.

The Ashanti qualifiers have repeatedly produced surprise results, with relatively unknown schools upsetting established contenders and forcing dramatic changes to the qualification picture.

As the competition gets underway, attention will focus on whether the region's traditional giants can reclaim their places at the national championship or whether a new generation of schools will emerge to challenge the established order.

With every contest testing knowledge, speed and composure, organisers expect another fiercely competitive qualification campaign in one of the country's most closely watched NSMQ regions.