A boy of nine is set to become one of the youngest players to represent Great Britain at the 2003 roller hockey championships.

Harry Taylor was picked when he was just eight to represent his country at the championships.

The sporty youngster, from Coldean, Brighton, first took up the sport when he was five.

He began training with the Brighton Stormers and by the age of seven he was on the under-tens team with the Tunbridge Wells Cruisers.

His proud father Darren Taylor, 39, said: "They are one of the top teams in the South. He is very competitive and plays against lots of teams from all over the country.

"I was quite surprised when he was chosen for the Great Britain team as he is quite young. He has done really well."

Mr Taylor described how Harry, who also plays ice hockey, trains after school every day and plays in league games at the weekend.

He said it meant a lot of driving him to and from games and training sessions but said it was well worth it.

Mr Taylor said: "He is very fit and sporty, he loves it.

"He probably trains about five or six hours a week and goes to matches."

Mr Taylor said Harry had a real passion for playing and he hoped he would be spotted and offered sponsorship when he went to the championship in Canada in the summer.

While roller hockey and ice hockey are minority sports in Britain, on the other side of the Atlantic they are hugely popular and big business.

Mr Taylor, a builder, said: "It's very expensive. Because it s a minority sport here if you want to represent Great Britain you have to fund it yourself.

"It's going to cost us around £5,000 to take him so we are hoping to try and get him sponsorship."

If anyone can help with sponsorship, call Darren Taylor on 07799 161254.