A record thirty three teams from four countries have confirmed participation at this year’s handball Genocide Memorial Tournament (GMT) slated for June 16-17 in Kigali.

The handball federations of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and hosts Rwanda will be represented at the fifth edition of the annual competition.

Last year, the fourth edition was contested by fifteen teams, ten in men and 5 in women’s category. The event is meant to honour members of the handball fraternity killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Rwanda’s Police Handball Club won the men’s category title after thumping rivals APR 36-21 in the final while Uganda’s Police Handball Club overcame Gorilla HC of Rwanda, 25-17, to win the women’s category.

"All the 33 teams have registered to compete at this year’s tournament. It’s going to be big and more competitive than the past four editions.” Rwanda Handball Federation’s Secretary General, Jean Paul Ngarambe told Sunday Sport yesterday.

The competition will be played at four different venues namely; Amahoro Stadium, Kimisagara Youth Centre, University of Rwanda – College of Business and Economics (CBE), and UR – College of Education (CoE) courts.

Over 20 members of the handball fraternity including; players, coaches, fans and administrators, are known to have been killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed over one million lives in just a hundred days.

Full list of confirmed teams

Men Home sides: APR, Police, ADEGI, ES Kigoma, St Aloys, Nyakabanda, Inyemeramihigo, ES Urumuri, UR-Huye, Groupe Scolaire Rambura and Inkumburwa. Guest teams: Makerere University, Police and Prisons from Uganda, Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa (JKT) and Ngome from Tanzania and Kenya’s Black mamba.

Women Home sides: Hanika Technical Secondary School, Gorillas, UR- CoE, Groupe Scolaire Mayange, Ecole Secondaire Mukingi, Duha Complex School, Appega Technical Secondary School, Groupe Scolaire Mwendo, Ecole Scolaire Kirambo, Group Scolaire Official de Butare and Group Scolaire Muyange. Guest teams: Police and Prisons of Uganda.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw