JUNIOR stars of the future are being given the chance to compete in a series of six events on the Junior Darts Corporation's UK Tour - with Connor Levett and John Brown winning the opening two tournaments.
The Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) has succeeded the Steve Brown Darts Academy, which has been formed by the PDC star from Bristol in recent years and expanded across the UK at a number of venues.
Running alongside the JDC Academies around the country is a UK Tour, which features six tournaments throughout the year open to players aged from 10-18 followed by a 16-player finals in December.
Connor Levett won February's opening event in Dorchester, while the winner of Event Two in Derby earlier in Apri was John Brown, the son of Steve Brown, who defeated Adam Paxton in the final.
The event in Derby was held at the Cueball Club, which hosts the Jamie Caven Darts Academy, and also saw Josh Richardson - the son of PDC ace James Richardson - reach the semi-finals out of a 42-player field.
The event also featured a rare moment during Paxton's warm-up to his quarter-final game, when the 15-year-old threw the equivalent of a nine-darter in practice by scoring 170, 170 and 161.
JDC Director of Operations Darren Barson said: "I have been involved with many junior tournaments over the years, but the standard at the moment is just astonishing.
"The Junior Darts Corporation is witnessing some serious junior talent - we cannot wait for the next event."
The JDC UK Tour continues with the following events:
Event Three - June 13, Wolverhampton Arena
Event Four - August 15, Cue Club, Worthing
Event Five - September 19, Venue TBC
Event Six - November 21, Venue TBC
Finals - December 12, Venue TBC
December's finals will feature the six Event Winners, plus the five highest ranked players from the JDC UK Tour Order of Merit and five highest ranked players from the JDC Academy rankings.
Tournaments are open to players aged 10-18, and players are not required to be a member of a JDC Academy to compete in the UK Tour events.
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