The National Handball Federation (Ferwahand) has come up with a four-year strategic plan to improve and develop the sport for the next four years.

Speaking to Times Sport in an exclusive interview, Ferwahand vice president Mansuet Kagabo said the plan runs through 2020.

"We have appointed technical officials to oversee the development of the league, set up training camps for national teams (both girls and boys) aged between 15 and 17 years. The plan also involves talent detection from the grassroots, especially from schools and centres of excellence.”

Over eight handball competitions will take place this year both in the women and men categories.

The annual championship is expected to end in July.

During the General Assembly last weekend, some of the official executive members requested the federation to take time and visit some of the centres of excellence to detect more talent and support them with handball equipment.

In partnership with Workforce Development Authority, a new handball academy was inaugurated last week at IPRC-North/Tumba College of Technology where the first intake of handball students was admitted.

The U-20 national team will compete in the 2017 African Championship Games scheduled next month in Gabon. The team qualified for the continental tournament last year after defeating Uganda in the final of the International Handball Federation (IHF) Africa Zone 5B staged in Mukono District in Uganda.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw