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Germany's Florian Keller celebrates after scoring against Japan during the first-half of their men's final World Hockey Beijing Olympics Qualifier play-off match in Kakamigahara, central Japan April 13, 2008. REUTERS/Issei Kato

BEIJING (Reuters) - Siblings figuring in national teams are not new in sport, but the Olympics hockey competition alone will feature over a dozen of them.

World champions Germany have two sets of brothers in their squad while their striker Florian Keller's elder sister Natascha is part of the women's team competing in Beijing. Canada, who qualified after eight years, also have two sets of brothers.

"It (hockey) is a family sport. I think that's the reason why you have a lot of brothers, as all the (family) members play," German captain Timo Wess told Reuters.

"So there is always the possibility of brothers playing together in the national team," added the defender.

Florian Keller, a dynamic forward, hails from a hockey family. "My grandfather and father won Olympic medals," he said. His step-brother Andreas is an Olympic hockey medalist as well.

Being siblings helps with on-field understanding, Timo Wess said. "We know each other so well that we communicate by eye-contact on the field," he said.

"Benjamin shows me the right side with his eyes, I know where he will run and get the pass from me."

Germany's men finished third in Athens behind Australia, who have two couples in their national teams.

Hockey starts on Sunday with the preliminaries in the women's competition.

Disciplines like equestrian and fencing are also regarded as a family sport partly because of their exclusive nature.

A leading equestrian family is the Whitakers of Britain. Beijing will be John's sixth Olympics and Michael's fifth while their niece Ellen had to withdraw because her horse contracted a virus.

Five of the top nine in the British rankings are Whitaker family members.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)