NAIROBI, Sept. 25 -- Kenya will not take part in this year's Africa Handball Clubs Championship, which starts in Niamey, Niger on Oct. 4-13.

Three Kenyan clubs NPBC, Rising Stars and Strathmore have given up the tournament.

African Handball Confederation (CABH) President Aremou Mansourou said only eight countries have been cleared to contest in the tournament that has attracted 19 teams - nine women's and 10 men's clubs.

Mansourou said the teams will be clustered in two pools for each gender.

"There is no representation from Kenya. However, we have several teams across the continent coming in and we hope to have a good championship in Niamey," said Mansourou on Wednesday.

Alongside host nation Niger, there will be teams from Angola, Senegal, Congo Brazzaville, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia, Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria and Benin.

Giants Premero de Agosto of Angola is ranked top in Pool A of the women tournament and will battle it out against Congo's DGSP, Heritage (DR Congo) and FAP (Cameroon) and Bandama (Cote d'Ivoire). Petro Atletico, Abo Sport, Evabuka and Atletico de Mindelo will make Group B.

The men's tournament has Egypt's Sporting Club as the top seed together with Inter Club of Angola, Red Star, JSK and Cote d'Ivoire's Atletico de Mindelo.

Pool B has Zamalek of Egypt, Widad Smara of Morocco, Etoile (Congo), FAP of Cameroon and Deportivo de Praia of Cape Verde.

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