He may have laid down his international hockey stick for good, but former Surbiton hockey star Ben Hawes will not be walking away from his international duties.

The 34-year-old has sat on the British Olympic Association’s (BOA) Athlete’s Commission for four years, but from January, he will sit in the chairman’s seat.

Hawes, who skippered Great Britain at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics racking up 99 caps, as well as 132 caps for England, retired from international hockey in 2013.

On the domestic front, Hawes made the switch from Surbiton to Wimbledon in 2011, being named skipper at Dons in the summer.

The BOA Commission is an advisory group of athletes designed to ensure that interests of all Team GB competitors are at the heart of everything the BOA does.

It represents the interests of past, present and future Olympians by improving services and support both during competition and after retirement.

“We have a commission of 12 people, and while I am the leader and ultimately responsible at board level, we all have to have our ear to the ground to hear what athletes want,” Hawes said.

“One of the great things about having a commission of purely past and present athletes is that a fellow athlete is much more likely to speak to us than to go to someone at board level.

“Our remit is to deal with athletes’ concerns over anything from performance to accommodation, anti-doping to selection.

“And it works two ways, the BOA have to ratify things for athletes, so anything from planning for the holding camp in Rio, where we should be located, when we go out there, to the simple things like the deal with Adidas and Stella McCartney about designing the Olympic kit in London.”

He added: “One reason we have been so successful as a nation recently is our attention to detail.

“I don’t doubt that the little touches that went on at London 2012 were not only a benefit of being the host nation, but also a benefit of how the BOA operates, and they enabled us to win more medals.”

Hawes takes up the post in January when the current incumbent Sarah Winckless reaches the end of her four-year tenure.

Hawes’ own tenure in the chair will take in the 2016 Rio Olympics as well as the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

He said: “To have represented the athletes on the commission, and then to have a seat on the BOA board is going to be great experience and one I am very much looking forward to.

“To be giving the opinion on behalf of all the athletes is a huge responsibility, and a huge honour.”

Winckless said: “I’ve worked with Ben on the commission throughout my time as chair and he’s an excellent candidate. I’m really pleased he’s taking on the position.”