The three-day Handball Association of Ghana (HAG) Invitational Tournament came to an end on Friday, June 12, 2026, at the Striking Force Grande Arena.
The competition featured four women’s teams and ten men’s teams, drawn from both service and civilian clubs. Kalibi, Prisons, Police and Fire competed in the Women’s Division, while Police, Fire, Prisons, Kalibi, Ashiaman, Kasland, Osudoku, Fingers, Anloga and Great Apowa battled it out across the Men’s A and B Divisions.
The Women’s Division was played in a round-robin format, and Kalibi emerged as the standout team. They recorded emphatic victories over Police (19–17), Prisons (23–20) and Fire (15–8) to book a place in the final, where they faced Prisons for the second time in the tournament. The final lived up to expectations as both sides ended the first half locked at 9–9. Kalibi, however, returned with renewed intensity in the second half, eventually edging Prisons 20–18 to clinch the women’s title.
Kalibi head coach Raphael Sifah attributed the triumph to discipline and hard work, saying, “handball is a discipline game, so I told my players to play according to the whistle and the rules, put in the hard work and never underestimate any opponent. They listened, and it worked for us.” He added, “I must commend our opponents as well; they gave us a very tough game. In sports, someone has to win, and we thank God for this victory. We are also grateful to our management for their support, and we hope this success motivates them to invest more in the team and possibly support international exposure.”
In the Men’s B Division final, Ashiaman locked horns with Kasland in a tightly contested match that ended 10–10 at full time. The game was decided via a penalty shootout, where Ashiaman held their nerve to win 4–3 after five penalties each, securing the Men’s B crown.
The Men’s A Division featured three service teams, Police, Fire and Prisons alongside civilian side Kalibi. Fire were impressive in the group stage, defeating Police 19–15 and Kalibi 18–16, despite losing 17–14 to Prisons. Their earlier results were enough to secure a place in the final.
Police, after losing their opener to Fire, bounced back strongly with victories over Prisons (20–14) and Kalibi (23–21) to set up a rematch with Fire in the final. The much-anticipated final drew handball enthusiasts and stakeholders to the arena. Police went into halftime with a narrow 11–10 lead and held firm in the second half to secure an 18–17 victory, avenging their earlier defeat.
Police head coach Joseph Addokwei praised his players’ resilience, noting, “after losing our opening game, I told the players that we could overturn the result with hard work and perseverance. I’m happy they believed and responded.” He continued, “hard luck to Fire and all the teams for the competition they gave us. We are grateful to the Association for organising this tournament, which helps put both players and officials in good shape.”
The President of the Handball Association of Ghana expressed appreciation to all participating teams and officials, describing the tournament as a sign of positive things ahead. “Thank you all for showing up and participating. This is evidence of many good things to come as we work together to change the face of handball,” he said. “Always play the game safely and with discipline, and together we will achieve a better future for handball.”
Winners across all divisions received trophies, handball balls and cash prizes.
Women’s Division: 1st – GHS 1,500; 2nd – GHS 1,000; 3rd – GHS 500
Men’s B Division: 1st – GHS 1,500; 2nd – GHS 1,000; 3rd – GHS 500
Men’s A Division: 1st – GHS 2,000; 2nd – GHS 1,500; 3rd – GHS 1,000
Officiating officials were also rewarded with a total of GHS 3,000.
By; Victoria Kwofie
