IAIN Mackay has joined the band of Essex athletes who will be flying the flag for Great Britain at the Olympic Games in London this summer.

The 27-year-old from Stisted near Braintree has been selected as one of 16 players in Britain’s men’s hockey team who will be aiming to repeat the gold-medal winning exploits of the men’s side at the 1988 Games in Seoul.

It will be the first taste of Olympic action for Mackay, who began playing at the age of six in the junior ranks of Braintree Hockey Club, but now plays in midfield for Reading in the English Hockey League premier division.

He already has 94 international caps and 12 goals to his name and will take part in Olympic preparations when the Team GB squad participate in a tri-nation event in Santander in Spain next month.

They will face their Spanish hosts, who won silver at the last Olympics in Beijing, as well as eight-time Olympic champions India.

Great Britain captain, Barry Middleton, said: “We have an amazing group of guys who have put themselves through so much pain in search of a dream we all share.

“We will be giving our all to achieve this dream while providing a lot of excitement at the same time.

“I look forward to stepping on the pitch in London and hearing that Great British crowd getting behind us.”

Mackay isn’t alone in representing Essex in Olympic hockey this year as Southend’s Jonathan Clarke and Chelmsford’s Glenn Kirkham are also in the men’s squad, while Dunmow ace Chloe Rogers will feature in the women’s team.

Great Britain’s men have been drawn in Pool A for the Olympics where they will face Australia, Spain, Pakistan, Argentina and South Africa, with the top two ranked teams progressing to the semi-finals.