Living the dream – Hood plans to open Chinese restaurant with Ally Pally winnings

Every sportsperson has a goal, but the majority of their goals are to achieve acclaim or medals.

Not for English darts player Justin Hood, who won the PDC World Championship quarter-finals with a stunning run that made a long-held dream come true.

Opening a Chinese restaurant is Hood’s dream, which has been developing for more than ten years.

After defeating Josh Rock, 11th seed, on Tuesday, at Alexandra Palace, Hood said, “I think we’re there.” I don’t believe I have a choice at this point.

I don’t have a timeline, I guess. After the Worlds are over, we’ll look into it and move forward.

Hood, who is known as “Happy Feet,” has already won £100,000 in Ally Pally prizes and would receive £1 million if he won. His highest payout from a single event was £6,500, to put that in context.

Who wants a Chinese after beating Rock to set up a match with Gary Anderson, who has won twice before?

In order to earn his tour card, Somerset’s Hood quit his job as a night porter at a hotel last year, sharing the position with his wife Jessica. He also worked as a night porter for his wife in Milton Keynes for eight weeks.

He and his wife Jessica have always believed that getting better at it can lead to better delivery.

Jessica said she was aware of his desire to start a Chinese restaurant when they first met ten years ago.

She told BBC Radio Bristol, “Nothing hasn’t been done yet and we haven’t done any kind of business plan,” adding that it will likely occur next year.

And it turns out that Hood, who was 86th overall at the start of the tournament, may not be the only one to take on this endeavor.

World No. 2 Luke Humphries, who won the 2024 world championship, agreed to play if it became a reality a few months ago.

We get along really well, Humphries said. He questioned, “Can we open a Chinese restaurant if I do this?” I said, “Yes, yes, we will,” so I believe I should do so.

He simply wants to open a restaurant for free Chinese food, and I tell him, “Justin, mate, we’ve got to make money from it,” and he says, “Oh no, don’t worry about that.”

He’s in the tournament right now, but I get the Chinese. He poses a threat. I need to watch out for him because he is a competitor.

He is playing arguably the second best darts in this tournament despite the fact that we are great friends and get along really well.

After defeating world number six Danny Noppert in a final-leg shootout, Hood and Nick Kenny and Ryan Meikle both lost to Nick Kenny.

Rock, the reigning World Cup champion, was among the favorites in the tournament but was left out by a 4-0 defeat.

Amazingly, Hood’s first dart at a double was the first of his 11 legs. He wasted another three match darts before missing the first time when attempting to take out 143.

However, he made up for it in the following match by paying 119 at the end of the year.

Hood has won over the fans of Ally Pally, and his nickname “Happy Feet” perfectly reflects his laid-back persona.

But his personality is not the only thing he is known for.

When he was a young boy, he forgot his shoes because it was a rule and he couldn’t play without them, according to Jessica.

He received shoes to borrow from a member of his team who was a size 13 foot. He’s either eight or nine.

They swayed like slippers when he put his foot on the oche. Then, he was referred to as “Happy Feet.”

Hood claims that the money is a bonus and that he now wants the trophy despite the possibility of his dream being realized.

It’s not a fairytale; “I know what I can do, and it’s nice to put it up there,” Hood said.

I don’t worry about any players, they just say. Whether it’s those guys or a drunken person, I don’t care. Everyone in here will win if I play my game.

What might Hood do next, then? Of course, there is nothing wrong with opening a restaurant.

A win over Anderson would elevate him to 37th place, and he is currently on a pro-tower of 50th in the world. In the semi-finals, beating either Gian van Veen of the Netherlands or Humphries would place him among the top 20.

A victory in the final would result in a move to third place in the world, which also includes automatic Premier League selection.

Hood remarked, “I have to win it to be in it.” I’ll definitely be in it if I win.

“Possibly if I get to the final. Although it’s unlikely, I’m not concerned about that.