Accra, July 16, GNA - The African Hockey Federation (AfHF) will honour President John Evans Atta Mills at an Awards Gala on Friday, July 17 at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.

The AfHF Meritorious Award is in recognition of President Mills' contribution to the development and promotion of hockey in the country and Africa as a whole.

The honour, ranked in the upper tier category by the AfHF will mark the highest point of the ceremony to celebrate African hockey as well as climax the ongoing Hockey Africa Cup for Nations, Ghana 2009. Magnus Rex Danquah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana 2009 Local Organising Committee (LOC) told GNA Sports that the event would also acknowledge the contributions of sponsors and partners towards the successful hosting of the tourney.

As part of the AfHF awards, Leandro Negre Carrio, President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) will also receive the Meritorious Awards (Upper tier).

The Lower tier category will have Peter Van Zyle - Tournament Director (Ghana 2009), Dennis Perkins - Umpires' Manager and Ediga Agbo - Assistant Umpires' Manager.

Abuga Pele - Chairman of the Ghana 2009 LOC, Oko Nikoi Dzani - Vice Chairman, Ghana 2009 LOC and Chairman, Ghana Hockey Association, Magnus Rex Danquah - Chief Executive, Ghana 2009 LOC, Bernard Mornah - Deputy CEO, Ghana 2009 LOC, Kwame Essah - General Coordinator, Worlanyo Agrah - CEO, National Sports Council, Theo Ykemah - FIH Member of Honour, Osei Bonsu Amoah - Member of Parliament of Aburi-Nsawam and former Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports and the 1974 Black Sticks squad would be decorated in the Middle tier.

For the Ghana 2009 LOC Sponsor and Volunteers Awards, Ghana Commercial Bank and Bank of Ghana will receive honours in the Platinum category.

The Gold category will have Innolink Limited and Volta River Authority while MTN, Pepsi, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Customs, Excise and Preventive Services and the National Lotteries Authority in the Silver category.

Africa Online, NDK Financial Services, IPMC, Appointed Time Screen Printing, Yetron Services and GLICO Life Company will be rewarded in the Bronze category while Ernest Chemists, SSNIT, SOS Villages and Ghana Prisons Service as Donors of the competition.

There will also be awards for the Most Dedicated LOC Secretariat Staff as well as Most Dedicated Volunteer (Male and Female). The tourney ends on Saturday with Ghana engaging South Africa in the Female finals and South Africa clash with Egypt in the Men's finals.