Tony David facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tony David |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Nickname | "The Deadly Boomerang" | ||||||||||||
| Born | 11 September 1967 Townsville, Australia |
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| Home town | Melbourne, Australia | ||||||||||||
| Darts information | |||||||||||||
| Playing darts since | 1993 | ||||||||||||
| Darts | 23 gram Formula Sports Tony David | ||||||||||||
| Laterality | Right-handed | ||||||||||||
| Walk-on music | "Down Under" by Men at Work | ||||||||||||
| Organisation (see split in darts) | |||||||||||||
| BDO | 1996–2018 | ||||||||||||
| BDO majors – best performances | |||||||||||||
| World Ch'ship | Winner (1): 2002 | ||||||||||||
| World Masters | Semi-final: 2004 | ||||||||||||
| World Darts Trophy | Winner (1): 2002 | ||||||||||||
| Int. Darts League | Runner-up: 2004 | ||||||||||||
| Finder Masters | Winner (1): 2002 | ||||||||||||
| Other tournament wins | |||||||||||||
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Tony David is a famous Australian former professional darts player. He was born on September 11, 1967. People knew him by his cool nickname, The Deadly Boomerang. Tony David is the only Australian player to have won a major world darts championship. He achieved this amazing feat at the 2002 Embassy World Championship.
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Tony David's Darts Career
Tony David started playing darts when he was 25 years old. By 1995, he was good enough to join the Queensland State team. Four years later, he became part of the Australian team for the WDF World Cup. This was a big step in his career.
First World Championship Appearances
In 2001, Tony David traveled to the Lakeside Country Club for the Embassy World Championship. This was his first time playing in such a big event. He lost his first match to Andy Fordham.
Becoming a World Champion
The very next year, in 2002, Tony David returned to the World Championship. Many people didn't expect him to win, as he was a 66/1 outsider. But he surprised everyone! He played incredibly well, beating several tough opponents. He won a very close semi-final match against Martin Adams.
In the final, he faced Mervyn King. Tony David played brilliantly and won the match 6–4. This made him the first Australian player ever to win a World Professional Darts Championship. It was a truly historic moment for Australian darts.
More Wins in 2002
Tony David's success didn't stop with the World Championship in 2002. Later that year, he won the World Darts Trophy in the Netherlands. This was another important title from the British Darts Organisation. He also won the Australian Grand Masters and the Doeland Grand Masters. It was an incredible year for him.
Later Tournament Play
Tony David continued to play well in 2003 and 2004. He reached the semi-finals of the World Darts Trophy twice. Both times, he lost to the famous player Raymond van Barneveld. In 2004, he also reached the final of the International Darts League, but again, he lost to Barneveld.
In 2003, Tony David was the top player going into the World Championship. He won his first two matches. However, he surprisingly lost in the quarter-finals to Ritchie Davies. After that, he didn't win another match at the Lakeside event. He played in 2004, 2005, and 2008, but lost in the first round each time.
Playing Against Top Players
In February 2005, Tony David was one of four players from the BDO to compete in the 2005 Masters of Darts. He played against four top players from the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation). He won two of his four matches. He beat Wayne Mardle and Colin Lloyd. Even though he won two matches, he didn't make it to the semi-finals.
Tony David's Health Journey
Tony David has a medical condition called haemophilia. This means his blood doesn't clot properly. He needs regular medicine for it. This condition also affects his darts throwing. He can't move his arm back as far as other players. This is because of bleeding in his elbow when he was a child.
In 2009, Tony David had to go to the hospital for an emergency liver transplant. This was due to problems from his medication. The transplant was successful, and he recovered well. However, he hasn't been able to return to playing darts full-time since then.
In December 2020, he had another operation on his spleen. This operation was also successful. His friends shared that he was getting better each day.
Personal Life
Tony David married his long-time partner, Natalie Carter, on November 20, 2010. They later divorced in March 2018.
World Championship Highlights
Here are Tony David's results at the BDO World Darts Championship:
- 2001: Lost in the first round.
- 2002: Winner! He beat Mervyn King in the final.
- 2003: Reached the quarter-finals.
- 2004: Lost in the first round.
- 2005: Lost in the first round.
- 2008: Lost in the first round.
