The knockout stage of the 2021 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) will begin today, with 81 schools ready to slug it out for 27 quarter-final spots.

For the first time in 26 years, the competition will be held in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Twenty-seven seeded schools from the 2020 edition of the national contest will come up against 39 qualifiers and 15 runners-up from the preliminary rounds.

The first one-eighth contest features Holy Child, Sonrise SHS and Kumasi High School. Next, St. Augustine's College will compete with St. Thomas Aquinas SHS and Anlo SHS in another exciting contest at the Kumapley auditorium.

A total of eight contests featuring three former NSMQ champions will come off today.

Meanwhile, reigning champions, Presec-Legon, is yearning to make a third consecutive appearance at the Grand Finale on November 26 and possibly extend their dominance in the competition for the seventh trophy.

The 2021 National Science & Maths Quiz is produced by Primetime Limited and sponsored by the Ghana Education Service in partnership with Absa.

The broadcast of the National Science & Maths Quiz is brought to you by JoyNews and supporting partners.