Reigning champions Nairobi Water women get their title defence underway Tuesday afternoon against hosts Jeshi La Kujenga Taifa (JKT) as the East and Central Africa Handball Federation Senior Clubs Championships (ECHCC) start
at the Benjamin Mkapa indoor stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The regional championship, which will run till December 4, has attract teams from Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania in both genders.

Nairobi Water will battle JKT at 4.30pm EAT, while their compatriots and former champions, National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) men play JKL at 3pm EAT in the opening day fixtures.

The technical meeting of the week-long event will be conducted Monday night. ECHCC Secretary General Charles Omondi stated that it’s all system go.

“So that we don’t lock away any team, we are giving teams a window period till Monday 7pm. The draws are scheduled for 8:53pm.There after we will conduct draws for men. The women’s version will be played on a round robin format,” said Omondi, who doubles up as the Kenya Handball Federation Fixture Secretary.

The top two teams from the men’s pools will proceed to the semifinals.

Cereals coach Dan Eshikumo offered that the outfits will be keen to reclaim the titles they last won in 2018.

“We want to have a bright start. Players are in high spirit and we can only hope for the best,” said Eshikumo.

Rwanda Police and Nairobi Water are the men’s and women’s defending champions having won the titles in 2019 in Rwanda.

NCPB men’s and women’s sides will represent the country alongside Nairobi Water women and self supporting club Black Mamba men.

Nairobi Water team manager Caroline Kusa is upbeat ahead of their opening match against JKL.

“We will take one match at a time but our focus is on the title,” the official said.

Teams that have arrived in Tanzania so far are Nyuki men’s team from Zanzibar as well as Rwanda Police men and women