The national handball league second round starts today with the reigning champions and table leaders Police taking on Huye-based Nyakabanda at Amahoro National Stadium.The 2009 champions APR faceoff inter-schools’ handball title winners Ecole Scolaire Kigoma in Muhanga, while 2007 winners Gicumbi, who also won this year’s International Labour Day tournament take on Rambura. Police-Rubavu will come up against the National University of Rwanda in Rubavu.Rwanda Handball Federation’s Secretary General, Alfred Twahirwa says this season’s title race is proving to be the closest in years. "At the moment, all teams are very close to each other on the table classification, which is different from the previous seasons. The gap between the first and fourth-placed team is only three points, which proves the competitiveness of this year’s league,” he told this paper.As it stands before the start of the second round, holders Police and 2007 champions Gicumbi are tied on 18 point but the former is top courtesy of a better goal difference (28). ES Kigoma are in third position with 17 points, while military side, APR are fourth with 15 points.