HAVANA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The men's teams from Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Canada and Cuba will compete as of Monday until Saturday in the first division Handball Pan American Tournament in Havana.

The tournament grants three passes to advance to the elite first division group in the continent and three passes to the 2009 World Championship.

Cuba is the favorite in this round-robin event, everybody against everybody, since it won the bronze medal in the 15th Pana American Games Rio de Janeiro-2007 in Brazil.

Two games will be played daily in this event.

Cuba's men's handball team descended from the elite handball group, despite its high competitive level of prior years, since it did not participate in the past Olympic Game's cycle.