Handball: Final game abandoned amid controversial last-minute refereeing call

The champions of the 2022/2023 handball league title will have to wait till further notice after controversial refereeing decision in the dying minutes saw Sunday’s final game between Police Handball Club and Gicumbi Handball Team abandoned. Held at the BK Arena, the closely-contested title decider went to the wire as the two teams were locked on 36 goals each. Gicumbi got a penalty inside the final three seconds of the match, but the referees changed their mind and overturned it after coming to an agreement that the foul was apparently committed when the game had elapsed. The decision sparked protests among visibly angry Gicumbi players who decided to leave the handball court prompting match officials to suspend the match without a final decision on whether the penalty should have stood or not. It is understood that officials at the handball federation (Ferwahand) will sit and decide the way forward on Tuesday, July 4. In the other matches, Kiziguro SS were crowned champions of the women’s First Division Championship after beating ISF Nyamasheke 37-19 in the final game. University of Kigali who beat GS Kitabi 33-23 to cement a third-place finish. APR won the third place in men’s league following Sunday’s 31-24 victory over ES Kigoma. Elsewhere, UR Rukara wrere crowned men’s second division league champions after beating Gorillas HC 29-25.

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Handball: Final game abandoned amid controversial last-minute refereeing call