KENYAN DEFENCE FORCES (KDF) Handball team was yesterday crowned the champions of the 2016 East African Community Military Games at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Ulinzi Handball team reclaimed gold after overcoming holders Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) by 32-26 points, having beaten Uganda and Tanzania earlier in the tournament. 

"Our success was not by luck, we played well throughout the tournament. We had good preparations coming into this year’s tournament; I thank my team for the hard work and efforts put into this year’s tournament,” KDF head coach Senior Private Obeidi Nyanga said.

Shortly after the game, RDF head coach Anaclet Bagirishya told Times Sport that they had tried their best but lost to a stronger team.

"On our side, we tried but Kenya was very strong in the last game. We had a problem when it came to scoring; we lost many opportunities by losing the ball several times, ” Bagirishya said.

RDF’s Corporal Gilbert Mutuyimana was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the handball tournament, while Ulinzi’s Corporal Edwin Chiti of Ulinzi was named the best goalkeeper and his teammate, Private Frank Kiplagat, the tournament's top scorer.

The hosts, needed to win the last game by a difference of nine goals in order to retain the title, and instead lost by more than six to settle for the third position.

Kenya finished top earning gold, Uganda and Rwanda walked away with silver and bronze medals respectively.

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