STEVE Harding won a Wycombe District Council sports bursary award last week for his skills in hockey.

The 15-year-old from Southview Road in Marlow played for the England U16s in Barcelona last Easter where the boys won a silver medal.

A regular attender at Bisham Abbey for their specialist regional hockey academy, Steve has ambitions to make it to full international status.

He said: "I was surprised to have won the money. It will be useful to buy new equipment.

"I did not know what the level of competition was going to be like."

Steve has been invited for trials with the Great Britain Under 18 squad and is looking to get involved with the Reading Hockey Club for the coming season.

The Sir William Borlase's Grammar School student says he would eventually like to play for the national team.

A spokesman for Wycombe District Council, which gave him £250, said: "He is a young man with enormous potential and continues to progress as a top class hockey player."

ROSS Sanderson wants to follow in the footsteps of Sir Steve Redgrave.

Ross, 16, of Marlow Bottom, was runner-up in the Sir Steve Redgrave Sports Bursary last week and awarded £250 for his orienteering over the next year. The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, student said that although the sport was not in the Olympics he hoped it would be by 2008.

He said: "If I get into the British squad I could be entered for the Olympics and I am confident that I can get into the squad." Ross is at the Great Britain training camp in Sweden.