Visiting Kenya Prisons men team won the East African netball title on count back over hosts Police Zanzibar after their final match ended in a dramatic 44-44 goals at the Gymkhana venue here, on Wednesday evening.

Prisons were declared as the eventual champions basing on their good averages during other matches they played in a build up to the final.

The Prisons had scored more goals than Police team to get justification for the podium title celebrations.

During the Wednesday’s final which was played after the women’s one had ended with Uganda NIC as winners over JKT, hosts Police Zanzibar were leading by 12-10 at the end of the opening quarter.

The hosts continued to maintain their lead up to half time mark as they had posted 21-18.

Police made full use of their goal shooters Amiri Muhidini and Ali Hamad to win hearts of the spectators who turned up for the final.

However, the host side failed to take control of versatile Prisons players Desmond Awiki and Caleb Amuyi who thwarted aerial balls.

Police Zanzibar maintained their lead up to the end of the third quarter (34-32) as they look well set to meet satisfaction of their fans.

However, the tide of the game changed in the final quarter as the visitors turned tables to force the rare stalemate that went into their favour to lift the title.

The week long championship was closed by the Minister for Information, Culture, Tourism and Sports Abdilahi Jihad.

Jihad hailed all the teams for participating and promised to host the event again should the netball officials come into agreement.

Uganda national Insurance women team had beaten Mainland’s JKT by 50-42 goals in an earlier game played at the same venue.

Other women teams that competed in the tourney and kissed a hand of goodbye early on include Chipukizi, JKU and Mafunzo all from Zanzibar.