Rwanda U-20 handball boys and girls teams left for Uganda yesterday in hunt for their first ever Zone V Challenge trophy and a slot in the 2015 African handball championships in Tunisia.

The delegation left at around 7p.m by road via Gatuna optimistic of winning this year’s championship which will be staged at Mukono University sports ground.

By press time, the draws had not yet been made to know their opponents in the first game. All the players looked to be in good spirits before departure.

Anaclate Bagirishya, the head coach of the U-20 girls’ team, sounded confident his team was good enough to return home with the trophy at the fifth attempt.

"This is going to be our fifth time to compete in this tournament and some of the players have participated in more than one competition and have acquired enough experience which I hope will be key to our performance,” he said.

Meanwhile, the boys team captain Jean Paul Muhanaye said that given the preparations, he believes they have a good chance to win the tournament and qualify for the continental championships.

"We want to go to Tunisia for the Africa’s championships next year and that begins with our performance in the Zone V tournament,” he said.

His girls’ team counterpart Aline Mugwaneza noted: "This is my third time participating in the tournament but have never brought home anything, this time round we hope to return with silverware.”

Rwandan teams will be competing against teams from Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan and hosts Uganda.