Bundaberg local Joshua Mercieca has qualified as number one Queensland Junior Boys Darts player and will go on to compete at the Australian Junior Darts Championship next year.
A current member of Burnett Darts Association Inc and Rum City Darts and the only junior representative from Bundaberg, 15-year-old Joshua will travel to South Australia in January to compete for Queensland.
Joshua said he was surprised but also proud of his achievement and the way he played at the trials in early October.
“This is my third time trialling for the Queensland Junior Darts Boys Team, playing for Zone 5, an area that spreads from Gympie to Bundaberg,” said Joshua.
“The first time, for the 2022 team, I was unsuccessful but it was a very new experience for me and I feel I learnt a lot.
“The second time was a lot better for me and I qualified in the 2023 Queensland Junior Darts Boys Team in fourth position.
“This led me to play in the Australian Junior Darts Championships in Brisbane where Queensland were overall champions.
“I am looking forward to going to South Australia and hopefully Queensland can be successful again.”
Joshua said he was first introduced to darts by his dad Peter who also played for the Rum City Darts Association and was allowed to join in one evening when they were short of players.
“We have always had a dart board up at home and we would regularly have a throw together,” he said.
“Because of my age, being 12 at the time, the committee approved me to play and now I am a regular player in their social darts team.
“I also play on a Tuesday night with the Burnett Darts Association, and when successful, I also represent them in a Zone 5 intraclub competition that is held on weekends.
“The thing I love the most about darts is the opportunity to meet new people, especially people who have been involved in darts for a lot of years.
“They are very helpful with helping me with my technique and give me a lot of encouragement and advice.”
Joshua said he would encourage young players to get involved in darts where you can start playing from as young as 10 years old and represent from the age of 12.
“There are two competitive competitions, Burnett Darts Association and Bundaberg Darts Association and two social darts competitions that I know of,” he said.
“There are a few members currently playing but we are always looking for more.
“We would love for more juniors to represent our region.”
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