Black Sticks to face rigid competition 2022 Birmingham Games

Ghana face a rigid competition in Pool B with Wales, Canada, England, and India.

They will push their first ball in Birmingham on Friday, July 29, when they play against England followed by India on Sunday, July 31. The team would then come up against Canada on August 1 and wrap up with Wales on Wednesday, August 3.

The team’s technical bench would be headed by Ali Ghazanfar as Head Coach with Ebenezer Frimpong as his assistant. Stephen Tenkorang would be the Team Manager while Adangabey Gaetan serves as the Physiotherapist.

Players selected to represent the country are Lee Derick (four caps), Osumanu Mohammed (debutant), Abbiw Charles (41 caps), Akaba Elikem (Captain – 64caps), Ankomah Emmanuel (20caps), Kwofie Benjamin (nine caps), Agbeli Samuel (12caps), Akaba Emmanuel (25 caps), and Afari Samuel (21 caps).

The rest are Opoku Ernest (28 caps), Offei Tyche (five caps), Ntiamoah Alfred (46 caps), Damalie Matthew (40 caps), Baiden Michael (28 caps), Damalie Luke (22 caps), Dogbe Christopher (four caps), Acheampong Eugene (28 caps), and Tettey Francis (20 caps).

Captain of the national men’s hockey team, Elikem Akaba, will make his 65th appearance for the team at this year’s Commonwealth Games to be staged in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The experienced player who plies his trade with Bank of Ghana’s hockey team, Exchequers, would be leading the Black Sticks to their maiden appearance at the Commonwealth Games.

From Sammy Heywood Okine