Accra, Ghana, 09/26 - A Ghanaian contingent of 36 players and 12 officials left Accra Sunday for the 1-8 October Africa Nations Hockey championships in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The 18 male and 18 female players will be gunning for continental tickets to feature at the 2006 World Cup tournament in Germany.

In a pre-departure message to the team, Education and Sports Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo, charged the players to qualify for Germany and make it a double for the country whose senior national soccer team, the Black Stars "have technically" qualified for the 2006 World Cup finals also in Germany.

The Black Stars have an outstanding Group qualification match, but they are as good as having qualified Ghana for its first World Cup appearance.

Maafor assured the Hockey teams of government`s support and urged them to make the necessary sacrifices to win international laurels.

Nii Koi Dzane, chairman of the Ghana Hockey Association affirmed the commitment of the players and officials to qualify for the World Cup tournament.

The male Hockey players include Emmanuel Akroful, Aikins Danso Opoku, Ebenezer Frimpong, Salya Nsalbini, Charles Moses, Robert Aryee, Benedict Sam and Isaac Ofori.

Others are Lawrence Nartey, Elikem Akaba, Isaac Moses skipper Gad Oblitey, Joseph Appiah, Daniel Lamptey, David Ghablah, Alfred Armah, Edmund Oblie and Nii Armah Akrong.

Their female counterparts include Josephine Adusei, Evelyn Ahiabor, Pamela Condobery, skipper Grace Marmon-Halm, Cecelia Ofoe, Erica Ametepe, Georgina Sam and Ramatu Abass.

The others are Emilia Aggrey, Beatrice Darko, Maribel Lamptey, Olivia Lartey, Esther Parry, Greta Ayeetey, Rejoice Noi, Susana Kotey, Getrude Inkoom and Gifty Obo.