City darts tournament hits the bullseye
THE INTERNATIONAL darts tournament, organised by former South African professional champion Devon Petersen and African Continental Tours, took place over the past weekend and, after the last dart was thrown, was declared a massive success.
The event kicked off on Friday evening with a social competition organised by the Dragon’s Franchise in Kimberley.
Donavon Pillay from the Dragons shared his excitement about the turnout and the quality of the competition.
“The competition was really good, with lots of darts thrown throughout the night until we eventually reached the finals,” Pillay told the DFA. “Tyrone Shackelton from George and myself were declared winners of the doubles competition on Friday. We won R5,000 as a doubles team – something to reward us for the hard work that was put in,” he added.
Meanwhile, the international competition, which started on Saturday, saw roughly 140 competitors and a large number of spectators flocking to Kevin Nkoane Primary School.
Pillay said that the competition was intense, but also noted that an added benefit of the event’s success was that six new dart players joined the Dragon Franchise.
“The vibe and camaraderie between the players were really good,” he said. “When it was time to compete, friendships were put on hold, but afterwards, hands were shaken, and friendships continued again,” he added.
Pillay expressed pride in his team’s performance, highlighting the success of their female players.
“Last year, one of our female players, Leane van der Walt, won the female section of the competition in Gqeberha, and this year, another female player from the Dragon Franchise, Heila Pain, won the female competition in Kimberley.
“That says a lot about the talent our franchise has. Another one of our players, Dean Naude, reached the top eight, but unfortunately, he couldn’t get into the top four.
“He put up a massive display against players who have competed in world championships, and he has a bright future ahead of him if he sticks to it,” Pillay told the DFA.
Naude, who was knocked out in the quarter-finals, told the DFA that the competition was stressful, but enjoyable. “It was a very stressful competition, especially when we started getting to the top 16 and top 8, but at the end of the day, it was a very nice competition.
“The player I beat in the Top 32 played in the World Cup before, and I felt really good to beat him. I had to focus, and that paid off. I gained a lot of experience during the competition that will assist me in the next competition I compete in,” Naude said.
The next competition for Naude will be in Durban as part of a franchise competition, where he hopes to build on his experiences from this tournament.
The DFA also spoke to Heila Pain, who joined the Dragons franchise in January 2024. Helia was ecstatic about her win. “This tournament was really nice. We had lots of female entries, and that made for a really tough competition. The number of ladies that entered is definitely a first for Kimberley.
“We have very young, talented women that can build on their future in darts as a sport,” she said.
Pain noted the challenges she faced during the tournament, including the cold weather affecting her performance. “I threw one 180 in the tournament and took each match as it came. When I threw the winning dart, I didn’t realise I won; only after they announced it did it kick in.
“I was behind in legs, but I fought back all the way. I told myself, ‘Stay calm, keep going, and don’t give up.’
“I will now keep practising because if you don’t, you won’t get far. Anything can happen; today you are on, and tomorrow you are off, but you need to keep your mind sharp because it’s a mind game,” she explained.
Pillay thanked everyone involved in making the tournament a success, emphasising that the support of the community and the participants was crucial.