Ramsey paradarter Darren Kennish competed at the 2024 World Paradarts Target World Championships and Masters competitions in Essex recently.

Up against some of the best disability dart players globally, Kennish delivered several impressive performances in Chelmsford, most notably finishing as runner-up in the World Championships.

World Paradarts Target World Masters

The Masters event kicked off with a round robin format where Kennish dominated his group, securing three 2-0 victories against Amar Dehar (England), Gergely Krajnyak (Hungary) and Benjamin Simon (France).

But in the last 16 the island darter faced Michel Van Den Hengel from the Netherlands in a thrilling match and, despite a valiant effort, he narrowly lost 3-2, exiting the Masters but gaining valuable momentum for the weekend's main event.

World Paradarts Target World Championships

Sunday’s World Championships, a straight knockout competition, saw Kennish respond in style.

He began with commanding 3-0 wins over Patrick Morrison (New Zealand) and Peter Jakobsen (Denmark).

In the quarter-finals, the Manx darter avenged his earlier loss to Van Den Hengel with a tense 3-2 victory. He then moved on to the semi-finals, defeating England’s Steve Plimley 4-1 in a clinical display.

The final was a dramatic clash with his regular rival, Belgium’s Vincent D’Hondt. Kennish stormed to an early 2-0 lead before the match turned into a nail-biting contest.

The players traded legs, reaching a 4-4 tie. In the decisive last leg, Kennish had three match darts but was unable to convert, with D’Hondt taking advantage to win 5-4. Despite the loss, Kennish was pleased to take the runner-up title in what he and D’Hondt both called one of their best games to date.

THANKS

Kennish would like to thank his wife Janice as well as his daughter and granddaughter who surprised him by attending the event, plus his son for managing the household during his absence.

He would also like to thank his sponsors: Horizon Darts for providing new custom darts (‘The Fer Obee’) and top-notch shirts, plus JP Corry Isle of Man for its unwavering support that made his participation possible.

Looking ahead, Kennish is eager for a rematch with D’Hondt and the chance to reclaim the World number one spot.

Fans can look forward to seeing world-class disability darts players in action at the Villa Marina in March when the Belgians visit the Isle of Man to compete in the 2025 Isle of Man Dartshopper Darts Festival.

- Kennish continues to seek sponsorship to support his darting journey. Interested parties can contact him at [email protected]

FESTIVAL

The 2025 Isle of Man Dartshopper Darts Festival will take place at the Villa Marina in Douglas between Thursday, March 6 and Sunday, March 9.

The event will include the following competitions: men’s and women’s masters, men’s and women’s classics, open men’s, women’s, youths and mixed triples competitions, disabled classic and open tournaments, plus men’s and women’s pairs.

The winners of the main men’s and women’s open competitions will receive £5,000 and £1,200 in prizemoney respectively, while the classic tournaments have top prizes of £1,500 and £700 respectively.

Overall, there will be approximately £34,000 prize money up for grabs across the various competitions during the festival.

For more information – including the full schedule and entry fees – head to the official festival which can be found at https://isleofmandartsfestival.com/