Isle of Man disability darts player Darren Kennish has moved to the top of the World Paradarts rankings following good results in England the weekend before last.  

In the Dave Silva Essex Shield, which took place at Chelmsford Social Club, Kennish recorded impressive 2-0 wins over Nathan Butler, Amar Dehar and Will Townsend, although he suffered a 2-0 defeat to Dirk Sampers of Belgium.  

In the semi-finals, Kennish faced a thrilling, high-standard match against Kev Stringer of England, narrowly losing 3-2. The event was ultimately won by Ian Lewis of England. 

Kennish then competed in the Dave Silva Chelmsford Cup at the same venue and claimed further 2-0 victories over Lewis, Gavin Hibbert and Mick Jones, but he again fell to Sampers  2-0.  

He advanced to the semi-finals where he secured a 3-1 win in a tough match against Townsend, but in the final, Kennish was bested by Lewis who achieved a well-deserved double with a 4-0 victory in what was the last competition of the British Disability Darts season. 

Despite these challenging matches, Kennish has retained his British number one spot for the third consecutive year.  

He has qualified for the British Masters in Bridlington in September alongside Callum Brew who secured 11th place in the standing category. 

Furthermore, Kennish has qualified for the World Championships and World Masters in January in Chelmsford, with Brew also securing his place. 

Kennish currently leads Vincent D'Hondt by 40 points in the race for the world number one spot, with four World Paradart competitions remaining. 

Kennish would like to thank his wife Janice and family including Charlotte, Juan, Nevaeh, and son-in-law Jack Slessor for their Sunday practice sessions.  

He also wishes to thank Horizon/Laserdarts for its continued support, Steve Waters and Keith Quane at JP Corry Isle of Man, Georgie from the Cook Shack and everyone who sends messages of support. 

Also thanks to Mike and Lorraine Callaghan for the logistical support, making his journey to number one possible. 

Kennish is actively seeking sponsors for the upcoming season. Interested parties can contact him at [email protected] - any support would be greatly appreciated. 

BREW SECURES SPONSORSHIP 

As well as qualifying for the British Classic and Open tournaments in Bridlington, the aforementioned Callum Brew has also booked his place in the Celtic Nations team for the upcoming World Cup in Assen, Netherlands. 

The 24 year

old from Douglas has secured a sponsorship agreement with finance company IFGL and will receive £250 towards the cost competing across Europe. 

Speaking about the deal, Callum commented: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to have my first ever corporate sponsor for my darts Journey, IFGL.  

‘Over the next 12 months, I will have the benefit of being able to afford my travel and accommodation to all the upcoming events in 2024 and 2025.  

‘Even in tough financial times, IFGL has stepped in to help me - I am grateful for their support and hopeful for greater achievements in the future.’