A darts star has made a surprise admission after hitting a nine-dart finish at the World Darts Championship.
At the 2025 edition of the showpiece, two players sent Alexandra Palace into a frenzy with nine-darters. Christian Kist was the first to do so, winning the first set of his first round clash against Madars Razma in style.
He became the first player since Michael Smith in the 2023 final to deliver the perfect leg but his achievement was soon matched by Damon Heta, who performed the feat in his round of 32 game against Luke Woodhouse.
As part of a huge Paddy Power 'Bigger 180' campaign, both players were entitled to a whopping £60,000. The Prostate Cancer charity and two randomly selected fans in the crowd also won big due to the scheme.
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After his wild celebrations, Aussie Heta had said he would be treating himself to a Rolex watch with his earnings but initially explained he was unable to upgrade his wrist bling - claiming Paddy Power have yet to pay out.
"Obviously, I’ve still got my sundial, as you can see," he said when asked on Thursday if he had bought his dream watch.
“Paddy Power has been slow to pay! Make sure you get that out there!
“But, nah, we’ll just roll with what we’ve got at the moment until the dollars come through, mate.
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"Obviously, the nine-darter, brilliant. I’ve never felt anything like it. I never heard a crowd like it and I was hanging on to every single dart as they were.
“Like I said, I’d give that nine-darter back for the win, 100 per cent.
"But at the end of the day, we move on, and like I said, we’ve got a whole season ahead of us and that’s what I’m looking forward to.
“You’ve always got to look forward rather than looking back. You can just learn your lessons and that’s where I’ve learnt my lesson. Moving on, let’s go for it.”
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However, Paddy Power say that the money has now been paid on the final day in January as a handsome treat for 'The Heat'.
A Paddy Power spokesperson said: "Happy to confirm that, like the rest of us, Heta's been paid today. Enjoy your Rolex, Damo!"
And Heta then confirmed the purchase of his new Rolex, taking to X to share a picture of his new expensive accessory.
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He wrote: "Something to remind myself of the achievement. Shout out to Paddypower for their great work for @ProstateUK throughout the worlds."
According to the PDC order of Merit, Heta, who reached the third round of the world championship, is eighth in the rankings with earnings of £484,000 - ahead of the likes of Gerwyn Price, Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall.
He has won eight PDC ranking titles and triumphed in the 2022 World Cup of Darts along with fellow Aussie Simon Whitlock.
Topics: Darts, World Darts Championship
Josh Lawless