# Algerian Handball Championship

The Algerian Handball Championship or the Division Excellence is the premier professional handball league in Algeria. It started in 1962 and 14 teams participate in the league.

## History

The Algerian handball championship existed at the time of French colonization and was therefore affiliated with the French Handball Federation.
From 1954 to 1959, there was a championship according to the regions. In 1960, regional championships were created played by clubs, the winners of each region being qualified for the final tournament, the winner of which was declared champion of Algeria. The winners of the 1960 edition was Spartiates Oran.

### Departemental Championship (colonial period)

| Season | Champion | Score | Runner-up |
| 1954 | Oran | 30–20 | Algiers |
| 1955 | not held | not held | not held |
| 1956 | Oran | 21–20 | Algiers |
| 1957 | Algiers | 13–12 | Oran |
| 1958 | Oran | 27–18 | Algiers |
| 1959 | Oran | 14–12 | Algiers |

### Algerian Championship (colonial period)

| Season | Champion | Runner-up |
| 1960 | Spartiates Oran | FC Blida |
details :
| Season | Region | Champion |
| 1960 | Oran | Spartiates Oran |
| 1960 | Algiers | HC Aïn Touta |
| 1960 | Constantine | SOC Philippeville |
| Round | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| 1960 | Semi-finals | Spartiates Oran | 17–16 | HC Aïn Touta |
| 1960 | Semi-finals | FC Blida | bt | SOC Philippeville |
| 1960 | Final | Spartiates Oran | 24–10 | FC Blida |

## Champions

| Season | Champion | Runner-up |
| 1962–63 | Spartiates Oran | |
| 1963–64 | Spartiates Oran | |
| 1964–65 | MC Saïda | |
| 1965–66 | JSM Skikda | |
| 1966–67 | MC Saïda | |
| 1967–68 | USM Annaba | |
| 1968–69 | CR Belcourt | |
| 1969–70 | CSS Kouba | |
| 1970–71 | CSS Kouba | |
| 1971–72 | NAR Alger | |
| 1972–73 | Nadit Alger | |
| 1973–74 | Nadit Alger | |
| 1974–75 | Nadit Alger | CS DNC Alger |
| 1975–76 | CS DNC Alger | Nadit Alger |
| 1976–77 | CS DNC Alger | Nadit Alger |
| 1977–78 | Nadit Alger | CS DNC Alger |
| 1978–79 | CS DNC Alger | Nadit Alger |
| 1979–80 | CS DNC Alger | |
| 1980–81 | Nadit Alger | |
| 1981–82 | MP Alger | |
| 1982–83 | MP Oran | |
| Season | Champion | Runner-up |
| 1983–84 | MP Alger | |
| 1984–85 | Nadit Alger | |
| 1985–86 | IRB Alger | |
| 1986–87 | MP Alger | IRB Alger |
| 1987–88 | MC Alger | |
| 1988–89 | MC Alger | |
| 1989–90 | ERC Alger | MC Alger |
| 1990–91 | MC Alger | |
| 1991–92 | MC Oran | |
| 1992–93 | MC Alger | |
| 1993–94 | MC Alger | |
| 1994–95 | MC Alger | |
| 1995–96 | IRB Alger | |
| 1996–97 | MC Alger | |
| 1997–98 | MC Alger | |
| 1998–99 | MC Alger | |
| 1999–00 | MC Alger | |
| 2000–01 | MC Alger | |
| 2001–02 | MC Alger | |
| 2002–03 | MC Alger | |
| 2003–04 | US Biskra | |
| Season | Champion | Runner-up |
| 2004–05 | MC Alger | JSE Skikda |
| 2005–06 | MC Alger | WA Rouiba |
| 2006–07 | MC Alger | MC Saïda |
| 2007–08 | MC Alger | JSE Skikda |
| 2008–09 | GS Pétroliers | HBC El Biar |
| 2009–10 | GS Pétroliers | |
| 2010–11 | GS Pétroliers | |
| 2011–12* | JSE Skikda | |
| 2012–13 | GS Pétroliers | CRB Baraki |
| 2013–14 | GS Pétroliers | CRB Baraki |
| 2014–15 | JSE Skikda | CRB Baraki |
| 2015–16 | GS Pétroliers | CR Bordj Bou Arréridj |
| 2016–17 | GS Pétroliers | |
| 2017–18 | GS Pétroliers | CR Bordj Bou Arréridj |
| 2018–19 | CR Bordj Bou Arréridj | ES Aïn Touta |
| 2019–20* | JSE Skikda | JS Saoura |
| 2020–21 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria |
| 2021–22 | ES Aïn Touta | CRB Baraki |
| 2022–23 | ES Aïn Touta | JSE Skikda |
| 2023–24 | M Bordj Bou Arréridj | O El Oued |
| 2024–25 | | |
* Notes:
    * The 2011-2012 season was canceled by the Algerian Court of Sports Disputes
    * The 2019-2020 season was being cantinued in 2021
    MC Alger : ex. MP Alger & GS Pétroliers
    OC Alger: ex. CS DNC Alger & IRB Alger
    RC Kouba: ex. CSS Kouba & NAR Alger
    MC Oran: ex. MP Oran
    CR Belouizdad: ex. CR Belcourt
    Hamra Annaba: ex. USM Annaba

## Most successful clubs

| Rank | Club | Champion | Winning Years |
| 1 | MC Alger | 28 | 1982, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| 2 | OC Alger | 7 | 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1990, 1996 |
| 3 | Nadit Alger | 6 | 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1985 |
| 4 | RC Kouba | 3 | 1970, 1971, 1972 |
| 5 | Spartiates Oran | 2 | 1963, 1964 |
| 5 | MC Saïda | 2 | 1965, 1967 |
| 5 | MC Oran | 2 | 1983, 1992 |
| 5 | JSE Skikda | 2 | 2015, 2020 |
| 5 | ES Aïn Touta | 2 | 2022, 2023 |
| 9 | JSM Skikda | 1 | 1966 |
| 9 | Hamra Annaba | 1 | 1968 |
| 9 | CR Belcourt | 1 | 1969 |
| 9 | US Biskra | 1 | 2004 |
| 9 | CR Bordj Bou Arréridj | 1 | 2019 |
| 9 | M Bordj Bou Arréridj | 1 | 2024 |

## Current teams

These are the teams that participate in the 2021–22 Algerian Handball Championship season: Nine clubs promoted from the second division.
* Promoted from National 1
| Team | Home city | Arena | Capacity |
| AB Barika | Barika | Salle OMS de Barika | 1.332 |
| Chabab Chelghoum Laïd | Chelghoum Laïd | | |
| CRB Baraki | Baraki | Salle Mahdi Boualem de Benghazi | 2.000 |
| CRBEE Alger Centre | Algiers | | |
| CRB Mila | Mila | Salle Omnisports Tayeb Ben Abderrahmane | |
| CR Bordj Bou Arréridj | Bordj Bou Arréridj | | |
| CR El Arrouche | El Arrouche, Skikda | | |
| CS Bir Mourad Raïs | Bir Mourad Raïs | | |
| ES Aïn Touta | Aïn Touta | Salle OMS Aïn Touta | 1.000 |
| ES Arzew | Arzew | Salle Omnisports d'Arzew | 2.500 |
| HBC El Biar | El Biar | Salle Omnisports Mokhtar Arribi | 2.000 |
| IC Ouargla | Ouargla | Salle Omnisports de Rouissat | |
| IR Bouteldja | Bouteldja | Salle Omnisports d'El Tarf | |
| JSE Skikda | Skikda | Salle des Frères Bouchache | 250 |
| JS Kabylie | Tizi Ouzou | Salle OMS de l'OPOW du 1er Novembre | |
| JS Saoura | Béchar | Salle OPOW de Béchar | 500 |
| MB Tadjenanet | Tadjenanet | Salle OMS de Tadjenanet | 500 |
| MC Alger | Algiers | Salle Hacène Harcha | 8.000 |
| MC Oran | Oran | Hamou Boutlélis Sports Palace | 5.000 |
| MC Oued Tlélat | Oued Tlélat | Salle Omnisports de Oued Tlélat | 1.000 |
| MC Saïda | Saïda | Salle Mustapha Boukada | |
| MM Batna | Batna | Salle OMS de l'OPOW du 1er Novembre | |
| Olympique El Oued | El Oued | Salle Omnisports Echatt | |
| Olympique Maghnia | Maghnia | Salle OMS de Maghnia | |
| OM Annaba | Annaba | Salle Omnisports Pont Blanc | |