The 27th edition of the East and Central Africa Handball Federation (ECAHF) senior club championship starts on Monday through December 12 at Kimisagara youth centre (Maison de Jeune).

The one-week regional tournament has attracted 13 top clubs from Kenya, Uganda, DR Congo and hosts Rwanda in both men and women categories. Tanzania withdrew from the tournament at the last minute.

Speaking to Times Sport on Saturday, the Rwanda Handball Federation secretary general, Jean Paul Ngarambe, said they were ready for the event, explaining that it’s a great opportunity to promote the sport in the country.

The seven competing clubs in the male’s category are Police, and APR (Rwanda), Cereals, Black Mamba, and Strattmore University (Kenya), Uganda Prisons, and defending champions Police from DR Congo.

The women’s fray has Ecole Secondaire Mukingi and UR College of Education from Rwanda, Police HBC (DR Congo) and Prisons (Uganda) as well as Nairobi Water and defending champions Cereals, from Kenya.

Meanwhile, ECAHF has appointed four Rwandans among the referees to officiate at this year’s edition. The four include, Alphonse Muhire, Josue Karinijabo, Jean Baptiste Safari and Diuedonne Musangirane, who are joined by the Kenyan pair of George Ondes and Kennedy Iyetse. editorial@newtimes.co.rw