The Rwanda Handball Federation (FERWAHAND) on Friday, June 5, opened the Genocide Memorial Handball Tournament 2026, a three-day competition running through Sunday 7.

The competition will unfold at various venues in Kigali including Petit Stade Gymnasium, UR Remera, and Kimisagara Youth Centre, with eight men’s and six women’s clubs competing.

In the men’s category, Group A comprises Police HC, UR Huye, Ndejje University, the sole Ugandan representative, and SOF. Group B features APR HC, UR Rukara, PEVIC, and Blue Tigers.

The women’s competition features two groups of three. Group A brings together UR Huye, UR Rukara, and Kiziguro SS, while Group B features Three Stars, Ndejje University, and ESC Nyamagabe.

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Friday men’s programme opened at 10:00 with UR Rukara HC taking on PEVIC HC, followed by seven further matches across Petit Stade and Kimisagara. The evening’s headline fixture sees Police HC face UR Huye HC at 20:30 at Kimisagara.

Saturday carries the remaining four men’s group matches alongside all six women’s group-stage fixtures, which run from 09:00 to 16:30 at Petit Stade

Sunday’s knockout programme features men’s and women’s semi-finals in the morning, with both finals and third-place play-offs scheduled at UR Remera in the afternoon, the men’s final at 17:00, the women’s at 15:00.

The Genocide Memorial Handball Tournament commenced in 2014 with the support of the Ministry of Sports, and its 11th edition forms part of Rwanda’s 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi.

Beyond the on-court sporting action, the annual tournament honours the athletes, coaches, officials, and fans who lost their lives during the tragedy, while utilising the unifying power of sports to foster peace, regional solidarity, and national reconciliation.