Beach handball kicked off the Cook Islands Beach Games 2022 with fun, sand and spills yesterday afternoon at the Nikao beach courts.

Over 12 days, 50 teams will participate in the six sports codes of: Air Badminton, Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Touch and Handball.

Considering the borders are still closed and that there are less people on the island, Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee secretary general Owen Lewis earlier said they were pleased with the number of registrations

For the first time Air badminton is now introduced into the Beach Games this year, these games will be held at the Edgewater Resort along with basketball while the rest of the codes will be competed at the Nikao beach courts.

Today the handball games continue from 3pm with the final day tomorrow, Wednesday.

On Thursday the beach football games will begin through to Saturday, January 15.

Last year the Beach Games registered 80 teams across five codes in the popular sporting activities.

The Tea-keys and Brew Crew finished day one of the Cook Islands Beach Games 2022 handball competition undefeated after two wins.

In their first match, The Tea-keys defeated Palmerston 1 2-0 before taking on previously unbeaten Brew Crew Katukangas.

The match ended in 1-all sending both teams into a shootout to determine the winner. The first shootout of the tournament was eventually won by The Tea-keys.

Brew Crew Katukangas defeated Raro Mapuz 2-0 in their opening match.

In the other matches played yesterday at the Nikao beach courts, Brew Crew defeated Power Puff Rangers 2-0 and Manix overcame Palmerston 2 2-0. Power Puff Rangers lost their second match to Raro Legends 0-2.

In lead up to the beach handball competition, Handball Cook Islands held theory and practical courses to assist all the Pa Enua teams who have team representatives here in Rarotonga to get their teams ready for the upcoming Youth Games and Cook Islands Games

The beach handball competition continues this afternoon.