Thanks to the game gents who were their stick-up practice dummies, four tenacious East London women and their manager are the toast of the town.
The four, who came out throwing darts with deadly accuracy at the national championships the Wild Coast Sun casino last month, stunned the darts fraternity with a win over some of the top 84 women players.
After cramming in two months of disciplined and gruelling training, the four — captain Vivian Roberts, Domonique Cronje, Erica Oliver and Lucile Openshaw — clinched first place in the event’s section 3 on behalf of the EL Darts Association.
They did not lose a game.
Manager Jackie Smith praised her ladies for their tough mindset and for putting in the hours in preparing their game plan.
There was no alcohol, just practise, practise and more practise.
She spoke of Erica Olivier’s high scoring 118 close out (finish to a game), and of the bitter-sweet moment of Lucille Openshaw playing her last match before emigrating to Vietnam.
The victory tasted even better knowing they only came in fourth last year, and in the lower ranked fourth section.
Jackie said Vivian led with a tough, confident mindset and she was an un-flagging motivator.
Cronje’s comeback, especially in the finishes, was impressive and key to the team’s victory.
Jackie filled us in on the method to their magnificence: Monday night leagues fixtures were the times for hard training.
To make it even tougher, they train-ed against men.
The team moved from one former male bastion of darts to another, from Hams, to Buffs and a skiboat club out at Kwelerha.
Taking on hardcore men players had sharpened their points and was a great discipline drill.
She said their biggest weapon had been their steely support for each other.
This had taken some of the management load off her shoulders.
“For me, it was about standing by the ladies no matter what.
“Even when we lost a few tough legs, I kept encouraging them because I knew what they were capable of. I had seen it every week at league.”
She said it came down to white-knuckling the deep-rooted belief that they would lift the trophy.
The turning point in the competition came when Vivian and Domonique lit up the tournament when they each closed out a leg throwing only 17 darts — an excellent average score of 29.5 points per dart.
“Sharing that moment boosted our confidence. It showed us what we’re capable of. We want performances like that to become the norm.”
She said their strategy had morphed by playing against many different associations.
“Our mindset was that we had to bring the big guns. I told the team: ‘We are bringing the trophy home’, and we did!”
She praised the league in East London for being a tough proving ground.
“The league teaches punctuality, commitment, and respect for the game. It’s not a pub sport anymore.
“We have strict rules. We have juniors in the league and other players who need role models. That structure builds responsibility.”
She said women’s darts had risen out of four years of battle.
“Just four years ago, ELDA only had four women trialing for selection.
“Today, we have a growing base of up to 24 female players making their mark nationally. Our success shows that with discipline, strategy and commitment, women can excel at the highest level.”
The team thanked all the men they played against for helping to hone their competitive edge.
The ELDA women have shown that darts is no longer a male-dominated pastime but a stage where women can lead, inspire and excel.
Their story is one of discipline and determination, and proof that with focus and teamwork, barriers can be broken.
