When The Heart of Darts herself, Deta Hedman OBE, puts out a tungsten SOS, we stand to attention and answer the call.
This weekend, the prestigious England Classic takes place in Selsey – an annual staple of the WDF calendar since 2009. The roll of honour is packed with darting royalty: Glen Durrant, Stephen Bunting, Trina Gulliver, Lisa Ashton, and of course, the Caribbean Queen herself, Deta Hedman – who just happens to be the reigning champion.
But Deta’s current concern isn’t about titles or trophies. It’s about turnout – specifically, the lack of entries in the youth events. These tournaments are the breeding ground for the next generation of stars, and ensuring their continuation is vital for the future of the sport.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s festival of darts, Deta issued a heartfelt message on social media:
“Apologies for non stop promotion of this event , but for us on the England exec youth of Darts , it’s a dream to achieve a WDF gold ranking at one of our youth events , under Tri Nations banner we achieved this at Bridlington , we need 65 entries over the boys and girls field , we have a fair few of our regulars missing for in the Wheelers case Lily, Lola and Woody family holiday in Kaya Baysal case he is hosting a fundraiser for JDC Gibralter and wish him all the best with that .
“But we are now at 56 entries just 9 short , to any parent of a youth player your child can enter this tournament can stay off site and for every entry an adult is allowed in free as a chaperone , the round Robin opening stage gives you multiple games so it’s great value for money . Help us make history for England darts with a WDF gold ranked youth event .”
So there you have it – a rallying cry from one of the game’s greats. If you can help Deta spread the word, please do. Let’s get those final entries over the line and make sure this weekend in Selsey delivers another chapter of high-octane tungsten history.
—–ENDS—–
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