Justin Hood has reached the World Darts Championship quarter-finals after beating Josh Rock 4-0, earning £100,000 prize money and hinting he may finally open his dream Chinese restaurant
Breakout World Darts Champions star Justin Hood could realise his dream of owning a Chinese restaurant after netting £100,000. The 32-year-old has emerged as this year’s cult hero and is into the quarter-finals after cruising past Josh Rock.
Hood, currently ranked 86in the world, made history during an afternoon session when he became the first player to nail 11 consecutive doubles without missing, before finishing with 75 percent. His flawless performance led to a 4-0 victory over the Northern Irishman.
Now, with his place in the last-eight confirmed and a match against Gary Anderson on the horizon, Hood can finally afford to open his own Chinese restaurant.
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The 32-year-old was a long shot at 1,000/1 in the pre-tournament odds but has already bested Nick Kenny, sixth-seed Danny Noppert, Ryan Meikle and Rock. He is now just two wins away from the final, with his next challenge coming up on New Year’s Day.
Hood, who quit his job as a hotel porter to pursue his darting dream, only qualified for the Q School, where players eye a tour card, earlier this year.
However, for ‘Happy Feet’ , opening a Chinese restaurant has always been his dream.
He’s often joked about spending the record-breaking £1million prize money on his own eatery if he were to win.
But now, what once seemed like a far-fetched dream could soon become a reality.
When asked if the prize money at Ally Pally was life-changing, he responded with a nonchalant “Yes and no. I don’t live above my means.
“It’s nice to have it in the bank, but I just get up there to throw darts. The money’s a massive bonus – I want that trophy now.
“No timeline yet. You’ve got to pay double. We’ll look into it after the Worlds. Half price? Get in. Every game’s unknown for me. I’ll go back, probably have a Chinese – maybe two or three. But seriously, I’ll treat it the same as every other game: practise, eat good food, and get ready.”
Luke Littler, the current world number one, made his debut at the World Championships and quickly became a fan favourite due to his love of kebabs. The then 16 year old Warrington-born darts prodigy became a running joke, with fans expecting him to indulge in his favourite dish after each match during the 2024 tournament, where he eventually lost in the final to Luke Humphries.
Before his fourth-round triumph over Rocky, Hood said: “I haven’t looked into it (the finances) properly yet.
“We might be out of business in a week, the amount of food I eat. I wanted to stay in London over Christmas because the Chinese around here are top-notch. I love eating it all the time.”
After Anderson’s 4-1 victory over Van Gerwen, Hood is set to face the former world champion on New Year’s Day, hoping to secure a spot in the semi-final.
