World Darts Championship: Brendan Dolan's road to recovery as 'History Maker' reveals 17th appearance at Alexandra Palace

Brendan Dolan is determined to end a testing year on a positive note as he prepares for his 17th consecutive World Darts Championship appearance.

The Fermanagh thrower equaled his best run at last year's Worlds when he reached the semi-finals, beating former world champions Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson on the way

But his hopes of building on that achievement in 2024 were dashed by a shoulder injury that left him unable to raise his throwing arm.

After a long rehab, which has given him time to complete work on a first class darts room at his home in Belcoo, Dolan is back in action ahead of Saturday's second round match against Lok Yin Lee, debat Hong Kong, live on. Sky Sports.

“I want to prove a point that I'm still good enough,” Dolan said Sky Sports. “I want to qualify and show the world that I'm still good enough to compete.”

Dolan showed he can still mix it with the best when he won the Players Championship event in Hildesheim in May, his 10th PDC Tour title. But even then he struggled with that shoulder injury which greatly affected his throwing. This resulted in a rough series of first round exits at World Matchplay, Grand Prix and the European Tour.

“I've had a poor end to the year,” said the 51-year-old. “The last three or four months haven't been good but the injury really affected me, and because I was doing this dart room up so I didn't have a place to use it. Between the two things I wasn't making enough effort and he. told.

“The shoulder injury, I was waiting for a lot of pain, which made me change my throw without realizing it. I spent maybe two or three months with a different throw.

James Wade	21
Michael van Gerwen	18
Brendan Dolan	17
* Current players only

“Even when I won that title I was suffering from the injury but it hadn't gone to the worst. Two days later, I couldn't move my arm five centimeters away from the hip.

“It's only with constant physio that my shoulder is better now, but my brain is still used to throwing the old way, stopping halfway through the throw. And obviously with a run of victories, there was no confidence.

“But since I have spent this month in this dart room working, I feel that there is better circulation in my shoulder. My rods don't stand as high going on the table, which means that the throw is stronger. I am returning to where I once was.

“Obviously not in good form going into it (the Worlds), but I'm quiet confident that I'm getting better.”

Dolan leaves no stone unturned before returning to Alexandra Palace. WDF champion Shane McGuirk, who credited Dolan with his guidance en route to the Lakeside victory earlier this month, has been returning the favor by traveling to Belcoo for training, and local players have also been putting it through its paces.

In times of trial he is able to lean on knowledge, as well as his family.

“I've been in tough situations and let them get involved and not fight,” Dolan said. “I realize that's the wrong thing to do. I've put up a fight up and I came out on the good side.

“Every time you go up on stage you learn more, not how to throw darts, but more about yourself and how you deal with things.

“With my life in such a good place – family, my wife Teresa, school children and grandchildren, it's such a great feeling.

“It's not darts.

Dolan will once again have plenty of support when he returns to the Ally Pally stage. Of the current players, only James Wade and Michael van Gerwen have appeared later than 'The History Maker', who believes experience could prove the difference as he looks at his his first job to negotiate.

“Playing with that crowd, it's a festive atmosphere so close to Christmas, so it's important that I can settle down quickly. Because I'm mentally much stronger than I was a month ago because of my habits. been putting in, I feel I have a game that is in a good enough place to get me through to the second round with a win my confidence can rise.”

While McGuirk from Monaghan made history by winning the world title at Lakeside, the wait for the first PDC world champion from the island of Ireland continues. Dolan strongly believes it will happen, though. He rolls out a list of names, from World Cup of Darts teammates Daryl Gurney and Josh Rock to up-and-comers Keane Barry and Dylan Slevin, as he expects big things from Willie O'Connor in the years to come. .

And how does Dolan rate his own chances?

“I want to win the World Championship,” he said. “When that happens, I'll wait and see. I don't put too much pressure on myself every year. I think though.” , once I play my first game, it's about recovery, because I feel like I'm in the competition.

“The way the schedule is, if you win that game you get to come back after Christmas. All the darts players are relieved to say they were there after Christmas. For that reason, I will then feel more comfortable and my best arrows will come out of me.”

Dolan will return to Ireland after his match on Saturday and celebrate Christmas with his family in his new dart room. A self-confessed home bird, the border towns of Belcoo and Blacklion are separated by less than half a mile of road and have a strong sense of interconnected community.

“This is where I was born and raised. Belcoo is very neighborly, people are genuine. They don't go through the motions. If they want to know they ask, see how you are.

“With me, obviously a lot of people are concerned about how I'm doing on rays. Then they ask about my wife Teresa, then my mother. They know the whole family circle and it's known to all of them.

“It's a great place to live and as you can see it's really beautiful. We're just looking out over the Kilkeagh Mountains and over Loch Macnan. It's a beautiful place there to live.”

Home comfort for the man with global ambitions.

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