The 19th edition of the African Cup of Nations Handball Championship (men and women) kicks off on Thursday in Cairo with the participation of 12 teams of men and women. Titleholders Pharaohs are seeking to add another title for Egypt. They are defending the title, which they won in 2008 in Angola. (Egypt's soccer team broke the record when they won the African Cup of Nations in Angola last month when they won the seventh title in total and the third title in a row.) The handball competitions will be played in Cairo and the coastal city of Suez and the event will run until February 21. President of the Egyptian National Sports Council Hassan Saqr urged the players ahead of the event to clinch the trophy to be honoured in Sports Day, which will be next month. He said President Hosni Mubarak supported the players and had encouraged them to achieve the sixth title. "Egyptians are waiting for you [the players] to do what the soccer team did in Angola," he added. "Egypt at all levels - officially and popularly - support and trust you." The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has received a letter from Algerian ambassador to Egypt in which the President Abdel-Aziz Boutefliqa said that the ties between Egypt and Algeria are excellent. The Algerian president added that Egypt does not need to apply security conditions or any guarantees in the championship. Algerians attacked (Egyptians during the World Cup decider in Sudan last November.) Egypt has prepared for this event by playing some friendlies in Europe. The event comprises three groups for men and two groups for women. The first group features the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Tunisia and Libya. The second group consists of the hosts Egypt, Gabon, Angola and Cameroon, while the third one comprises Morocco, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire and Algeria. Egypt's men's team encounters Gabon in the opener on Thursday in Cairo at 8:00pm (Local time). The women's competitions have been divided into two groups: the first comprises Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Tunisia and Cameroon, while the second group consists of Egypt, Angola, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
