The much-anticipated grand finale of this year’s Junior Speller Competition took place in a grand style. The highly competitive contest between learners from different schools drawn from various parts of the country saw both trophies leaving the capital to the Ashanti and Central Regions respectively. As expected, the contest was held in two sessions. There was the contest for learners in basic 1-4 and that of those in basic 5-9.
There were 70 finalists in the seniors contest who were all poised for the trophy. After the first two rounds of the contest, it became difficult to predict the winner since it was obvious that all spellers stand equal chances of winning. There were spellers who were champions at the quarter final and the semi final stages of the contest and these were the ones people were expecting to carry the day. Just at the eleventh hour of the contest, and to the surprise of all and sundry, Paa Kwow Nyhira Otchere of Mystical Rose Academy in Accra, a Form Two learner who was a co-champion at the quarter final and a first runner up at the semi final spelt Xenophile starting with the letter ‘Z’. He sadly left the contest. It was in this same round where Daniella Okain Ntow of Oakwood Community School, Tema Comm. 10, a form two student who has maintained her position as a champion throughout the contest also started to spell synostosis with a C.
It became obvious at this point that there is going to be a champion from ‘the blues’. It was in this round that we had Akuako Marfo and Bishop Paul Obeng of Martyrs of Uganda Jubilee School Santasi- Kumasi, Theodora Akua Donkor of Theolina Academy, Ashaiman and Kwadwo Koranteng Boateng of Eden Hills International School, Kuntunse sailing through successfully.
READ: Abena Yeboah, 2021 National Junior Speller Champion Scores 9 Ones In BECE
In the final round we had only Akuoko Marfo spelling his word right hence becoming the 2022 champion for the basic 5-9 category.
The story in the juniors’s category was not different at all. The champions from the various groups in the quarter final and the semi final fell off, allowing Nana Yaa Benewaa Mensah of Our Lady Of Holy Cross School in the Gomoa East of the Central Region to carry the day. The first, second and third runners up were from the same school. Congratulations to all finalists for putting up such a competitive contest.
There were cash prizes for winners and the first runner ups, tablets, bicycles, dictionaries, school bags, books, games, citations and many more for all finalists.
You can visit www.juniorspeller.com to enrol your ward or school in the 2023 junior speller contest.
