Five teams took the court in the 2023 SCA Men’s Centre Handball Tournament in Managua, Nicaragua, where a round-robin tournament provided two places for the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games, which are due to take place between 23 June and 8 July in San Salvador, El Salvador.

El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua displayed some impressive handball in the five days of competition between 21 and 25 February in the Gimnasio de Balonmano del Instituto Nicaragüense de Deportes, with Costa Rica eventually taking the win.

The first day saw hosts Nicaragua take an impressive 33:29 win over El Salvador. At the same time, Guatemala displayed their dominance against Honduras with a clear 30:20 win which positioned themselves well for a podium place at the end of the competition.

El Salvador, whose men's and women's teams have already secured their place for the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in the summer given their role as the organising country, also failed to win in the second match, with Honduras clinching a clear 26:20 win, as favourites Costa Rica started their tournament with a 30:25 win over hosts Nicaragua after having a rest day in the first day of the competition.

Costa Rica doubled down on that win on the third day with a narrow 25:22 win over Guatemala, as Nicaragua enjoyed their second win in three matches (44:32) against Honduras, with Costa Rica boasting a huge advantage at the top of the standings as they could not lose the first place.

The two favourites also won their matches from the fourth day of the competition, with Costa Rica totally dominating El Salvador (39:21). At the same time, Nicaragua brushed off the challenge from Guatemala, taking a 32:29 win.

Eventually, Costa Rica finished with four wins in four matches with a clear win over Honduras (35:26), as the top two sides, the winners and Nicaragua, progressed to the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Nicaragua, who qualified for the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games, earned their best finish in 10 years at the SCA Men’s Centre Handball Tournament, while their player Kenneth Garay was the top scorer of the competition with 36 goals, 11 more than Honduras’ Asler Garcia and 12 more than Costa Rica’s Kevin Barrantes.

The 2023 SCA Women’s Centre Handball Tournament will also take place in Managua, Nicaragua, between 28 February and 4 March, with six teams at the start – Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Paraguay.

Photo: Costa Rican Handball Federation