Morehu Heta-Tohu will fulfil a 30-year dream of his when he dons a WA state team shirt at the Australian National Darts Championships in July.
Heta-Tohu has been aspiring to represent WA since he started playing darts decades ago, and although he came close to selection on a number of occasions, he never passed the final cut.
But the 46-year-old was picked for the side for the first time in 2016, after some stellar outings in local and state-level competitions.
Heta-Tohu took out almost every possible trophy in the Mandurah Men’s Darts Association over the past year and was the third player selected to the eight-man side.
He said it was a dream come true to play for Western Australia.
“I’ve wanted to wear the swan on my back since I started playing and it’s really nice to finally be picked for the side,” he said.
“Nationals will be a new experience for me.”
Heta-Tohu took a liking to the mental aspect of the sport at a young age, and has played ever since.
“People say darts is just a pub sport, and it is, but it’s also about playing mind games with your opponent,” he said.
“Some people throw their darts fast and others slow it down to mess with the opponent a bit – I really love the strategy and technique of it all.”
Heta-Tohu moved to Mandurah three years ago and quickly took to the local football clubs and RSL hall to play darts.
He mixes competitions with practicing between three and four hours a day.
A fundraiser to help fly Heta-Tohu to Bendigo for the championships will be held at the Mandurah RSL on June 25.
Raffles with prizes donated by local businesses will be on offer and a knockout darts tournament will be held on the night.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
