Fourteen teams set for FERWAHAND 2026 Genocide Memorial tournament

The Rwanda Handball Federation (FERWAHAND), in partnership with the Rwanda National Olympic and Sports Committee (RNOC), has organized the 11th edition of the Genocide Memorial Handball Tournament, an annual competition held in remembrance of the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The International Genocide Memorial Tournament serves not only as a platform for competitive handball but also as an opportunity for athletes, officials, and supporters to honour the memory of those who lost their lives during one of the darkest chapters in Rwanda’s history.

Through sport, participants reaffirm the values of unity, resilience, remembrance, and national reconciliation.

The 2026 edition will take place from 5 to 7 June 2026 and will bring together fourteen teams, including eight men’s teams and six women’s teams

Matches will be played at Petit Stade Amahoro, the University of Rwanda – College of Education (UR Remera), and Kimisagara Handball Ground.

In the men’s category, teams have been drawn into two preliminary groups of four teams each.

Police Handball Club, UR Huye, Uganda’s Ndejje University and SOF have been drawn in Group A, while APR Handball Club, UR Rukara, PEVIC and Blue Tigers are in Group B.

Like the men’s competition, the women’s has been drawn into two preliminary groups of three teams each

Group A features UR Huye, UR Rukara and Kiziguro Secondary School, while Group B is made up of Three Stars, Uganda’s Ndejje University and ESC Nyamagabe.

The tournament will follow a round-robin format during the group stage.

The top two teams from each pool will advance to the knockout stage, where semifinal and classification matches will determine the finalists.

Group-stage action begins on Friday, 5 June, with teams aiming to secure places in the knockout rounds before competing for the prestigious memorial title in the final on Sunday, 7 June 2026.

The previous edition produced exciting encounters and high-level competition.

In the men’s category, Kenya’s Equity Bank Handball Club emerged as champions after defeating Police Handball Club of Rwanda 28–26 in a closely contested final, while in women’s, Gorilla Handball Club of Rwanda claimed the title with a 44–36 victory over Uganda’s UPDF Handball Club.

APR Handball Club secured third place in the men’s after overcoming UPDF Handball Club 33–26, while UR Huye Handball Club finished third in the women’s following a 20–18 win against Tanzania’s JKT Handball Club.