Justin Hood’s World Championship journey came to an end after he was knocked out by Gary Anderson 5-2 in the quarter-finals.
‘Happy Feet’ made his debut in the tournament and pulled off some incredible performances which were heavily respected by fans.
The #86 seeded player began with a 3-0 win over Nick Kenny in the first round, averaging just under 100 in three darts.
In what was one of the best matches in the tournament, Hood took out the world #6 ranked Danny Noppert, defeating the Dutchman 3-2 after winning the deciding leg as the 32-year-old averaged 103.01 and hit 11 180s.
One of the shortest players on the tour, Hood defeated Ryan Meikle in convincing fashion, winning four sets to one.
The Englishman’s toughest test came up against Northern Irish star Josh Rock as he was heavily predicted to go far in the competition.
But, an upset occurred as Hood beat Rock 4-0, managing to hit 11 consecutive first-time checkouts, landing 10 180s, and averaging 101.18 in the match.
This unlocked the dream for Happy Feet as he could finally have enough money to open a Chinese takeaway with the prize money he won throughout the tournament.
It didn’t take long for the crowd to join Hood’s side as they constantly chanted his name after the triumph against Noppert.
Not to forget, his continuous smiling brought a lot of joy to many of the darting community, plus, pulling funny faces at the cameras showed why he is so lovable.
While it is the end of the road for him in the tournament, fans will be eager to see the 32-year-old shine in another PDC competition once again.
Especially, when he has become a new cult hero to the sport and may be the biggest beloved darts player of 2026 if he can keep contesting with some of the best in the business.
The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈 
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