Participants can join training courses held in their residential or school districts.

The maximum quota for each district is 25, with the audition days set for September 16 and 23.

The teams will prepare for the district competition which will begin in December.

The finals will be held in February.

The most talented players in the tournament will join an elite training programme in April.

It will be co-organised by the association and Hong Kong Baptist University to enhance the athletes' physical strength.

They will travel to Taiwan next August to take part in a training camp where they will exchange ideas with the island's top players.

The players from last year's programme showed off their skills at the 2007 Ten-Zen Cup Handball Championship held in Taiwan earlier this month.

The competition attracted 96 teams in 14 categories. Hong Kong sent three teams to the event - secondary boys, secondary girls and Primary Six boys.

'Although the boys' team were beaten in the preliminary matches, the girls and the primary students both came third,' said the association's sports executive, Mak Chiu.

'The result is surprising and encouraging, as the standard of Taiwan handball is above average in Asia.'

Chiu said the training course was launched last year. 'Due to the lack of practice venues in Hong Kong, teenagers seldom have a chance to play handball,' he said.

Chiu hoped to provide more training for young people through the district programme and increase the sport's popularity in Hong Kong.

The deadline for applications is today.

For more information, call 2504 8119