Harry Martin’s Olympic dream has moved a step closer following his inclusion in the Great Britain squad for this week’s Olympic test event.

The Old Loughtonians player has joined up with Jason Lee’s 18-man squad for matches at the Riverbank Arena against Australia, India and Germany.

Britain’s men begin the competition today against the Germans before taking on India tomorrow and Australia on Saturday, with a final and third-place play-off scheduled for Sunday.

The women’s team will also be in action as they take on Argentina, China and Korea in a tournament of the same format.

Speaking on his inclusion, Martin said: “Selection has been pretty intense for the guys in the squad.

“We all push each other so it is always going to be difficult. I’ve felt pretty nervous too, but I’ve just tried to take a realistic approach to it and focus on training.”

The midfielder added: “Last year I was in and out of the squad because of school, and I missed out on a couple of tournaments including the London Cup and European Championships. So it’s been great to have a year to focus purely on hockey and train full time.

“I definitely don’t miss school at all. It’s a pretty good life just being able to play hockey for a living, so I feel lucky to be able to do so.”

The British team have been involved with a group of east London children for the past year, teaching them to play hockey and also travelling with them to a tournament in Holland where the kids played under the name FRE Flyers.

Martin was speaking at the launch of the FRE Flyers Sports Club, which has been named after the Olympic values of Friendship, Respect and Excellence.

The 19-year-old and the rest of the squad were special guests at the event which announced the use of Olympic venues for hockey, swimming and tennis following the Games.

The venture between the squad and the FRE Flyers was the first major legacy programme, having taken 30 youngsters and helped to provide opportunities for their development through sport and the community spirit that has grown.

Fellow squad member Simon Mantell added: “The launch event with the kids sort of encapsulates everything that inspires me about sport.

“I got into sport when I was very young, and not because I had a dream of winning an Olympic gold medal or because I wanted to play tennis at Wimbledon, it was because I enjoyed it. And that came later, once I was a bit older and understanding a bit more about sport that became my dream.

“But initially I just loved it and seeing how much the guys loved it when we were over in Holland, that is definitely what inspires me.”