A West Midlands darts player has described his scheduled world championship debut on Friday as a “childhood dream”.
Matt Dennant, from Bloxwich in Walsall, will face Dutchman Kevin Doets in the first round at Alexandra Palace.
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He stated he was “chuffed to bits to get there”, after playing darts since the age of 10, and predicted the experience would open doors for him.
Dennant said he had a practice room set up at his father’s pub, The Kings Head in Blakenall Heath.
He told BBC Radio WM: “I play there in the super leagues and the leagues that we run.”
Dennant also said: “Everybody’s ambition and dream is to play on that world championship stage.
“I’ve been playing PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) darts… since about 2011, 12, something like that. [It’s] almost 15 years in the making.”
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‘Great opportunity’
With millions of people watching the event around the world, he admitted reaching it was “a great achievement”.
“I’ve kind of been steadily improving over the years on the pro-tour circuit, like the four events and Euro tour stages… but to actually make the worlds is like that childhood dream come true.
“[It’s] not just so much the prize money, but the doors everything opens.
“It’s the world championships, a great opportunity, it’s life-changing. Everything’s there to push on and try and achieve those goals.”
The Coventry University business degree graduate’s nickname is The Scholar, coined by a previous sponsor, he explained.
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Dennant’s walk-on song for matches is also relevant to the West Midlands, he said.
“It’s Red Right Hand by the Arctic Monkeys, linked to the Black Country with the [TV drama] Peaky Blinders’ theme tune.”
The winner of the match will, in the next round, face Kenya’s David Munyua, following his shock victory over world number 18 Mike de Decker.
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