ENGLAND DEFEND BOYS WORLD TITLE IN JAPAN

England are sending a strong team to defend the Boys World Championship they won so impressively in Japan last year.

Nick Dougherty, 16 (Shaw Hill), David Porter, 16 (Stoneham), Sandeep Grewal, 17 (Heswall), and Scott Godfrey, 17 (St Enodoc) will bid to retain the trophy at Ashai Kokusai Toyjo Golf and Country Club, near Osaka, Japan on 17-20 June.

A year ago England completed their first success in this annual tournament which draws teams from 14 countries covering four continents. The format, which his 72-hole Strokeplay with the best three cards each day to count, say England finish on 874, six better than Japan and 19 ahead of the powerful United States squad.

Dougherty is the only member of the quartet who played in last year's triumphant team, finishing seventh in the individual standings on seven-over-par 295.

This will be the eight World Boys Team Championship and the previous seven titles have been shared between the United States, Japan and England. It is always played in Japan and in recent years has found a home at the magnificent Asahi Kokusai Toyjo Golf and Country Club, a 63-hole complex. The par 72 Toyjo layout, known as the "four sevens", is the longest course in Asia at 7,777 yards. But for the Championship it will be reduced to just over 7,000 yards.

The team will leave on 11 June and will be away for 9 days during which they will spend two nights with Japanese families to get a taste of the Japanese way of life.

The non-travelling reserve is Richard Coulson (Hull), while the team captain will be Roy Case (Nottinghamshire), Chairman of the Boys Selection Committee and the team manager, DR Frank Harkins (Cheshire), the North West Regional Coaching Delegate.