Westbury scores a bullseye

aaron-ryder-of-western-australia

WESTBURY WAS the proud host of the U25 National Darts Titles this November. Teams from each state made their way to Westbury Sports Stadium for a great competition, with a friendly but competitive atmosphere.

Betty Hislop, Captain of the WA team, has played darts for 57 years, 46 as President of Darts WA.  She also fronted the biggest contingent to come to the nationals, 19 players in all, travelling the longest distance to take part. “We’re all self-funded,” she said, showing a great level of commitment to the sport, with many players regularly travelling 5-6 hours in order to take part in their local competitions as well.

Victorian coach, Terry King, praised the camaraderie between teams. “The competition’s been great, everyone’s friendly. There have been no sad faces, everyone picks each other up.”

Captain of the Tasmanian womens team, Shelley How, was very pleased with how well her team played, commenting that the Westbury venue was “absolutely brilliant,” with a good turnout of local supporters.

The Tasmanian team showed great spirit as well as bringing a family vibe to the competition with several team members representing the same family, some being 4th generation players.

In an all WA showdown in the women’s singles, Edwina Dryden beat compatriot Kaitlan Brown. Victoria came first in the men’s, with Sam Ballinger beating Tasmania’s Simon Bryant.

The competition ended with the mixed drawn triples, where players from different states play on mixed teams - a great way to end the tournament after the friendly rivalry of the National Competition.

Photo | Mike Moores