The 2026 Darts South Africa (DSA) National Championships, held at the Bellville Velodrome from 12 to 18 July, will forever be remembered as one of the greatest achievements in the history of Western Cape darts.

Home soil

Playing on home soil, the Western Cape Darts Federation (WCDF) answered the challenge laid down by its Executive Committee in emphatic fashion by capturing every Inter-Provincial team title on offer. In an unprecedented display of dominance, Western Cape completed a clean sweep by winning the Men’s Championship, Ladies’ Championship, Men’s Masters Championship, Ladies’ Masters Championship, Youth Boys’ Championship, and Youth Girls’ Championship. Never before has a province so comprehensively dominated the National Championships across every team category.

Lennie Thomas, from the Western Cape team, says months of meticulous planning, disciplined preparation, and unwavering commitment culminated in one of the finest weeks in Western Cape sporting history.

“Every provincial team embraced the responsibility of competing on home soil and delivered performances of the highest standard. The Senior Men’s and Senior Ladies’ teams were particularly impressive, both remaining unbeaten throughout the Inter-Provincial Championships to deservedly claim their respective titles,” he says.

The story of the Championships undoubtedly belonged to 12-year-old Tiah May, the youngest daughter of Robertino May. The talented youngster announced herself on the national stage by winning the Youth Girls’ Singles Championship, finishing runner-up in the Girls’ Pairs, partnering her sister Akeefah, and being awarded Protea Colours at just 12 years of age.

“If confirmed, this remarkable achievement would make Tiah the youngest Protea darts player in South African history. Her performances throughout the week demonstrated maturity, composure, and exceptional talent far beyond her years, and provided a glimpse into a very bright future for South African darts,” says Thomas.

Another emotional highlight was the success of Jaco du Preez, who captured the Youth Boys’ Singles Championship before being awarded his first Protea Colours. Having narrowly missed national selection the previous year, Jaco returned stronger and more determined than ever. His selection was an emotional moment for his family, with his parents proudly celebrating the reward for years of dedication and sacrifice. There was hardly a dry eye when his mother witnessed her son’s dream becoming reality. Several Western Cape players received the ultimate recognition by being awarded Protea Colours.

Among them were Gary Dammert, following a magnificent tournament in which he finished runner-up in both the Open and Closed Singles, and Vossie Oosthuizen, who produced one of the performances of the Championships by winning both the Open Singles and Closed Singles titles. In a light-hearted family rivalry, Cheri-Ann May reached the Protea ranks ahead of her husband, Garth May, giving the May household plenty to celebrate.

Claassen delivers outstanding performance

The Ladies’ Masters once again demonstrated their quality by completing the tournament unbeaten. Leading from the front was Dianne Claassen, whose outstanding performances were complemented by victory in the Closed Ladies’ Pairs alongside partner Melanie Davids. The Men’s Masters produced a fitting finale by defeating KwaZulu-Natal 12–4 in the championship decider to secure yet another title for the Western Cape. Thomas says the remarkable success achieved by the province did not happen by chance.

“Special recognition must be afforded to the Provincial Team Leads Priscilla Pieters, Eben Olivier, Pieter Groenewald, Monique Allies, Vanessa Adams, and Percy Higgo. The Western Cape Darts Federation also deserves recognition for successfully hosting one of the most memorable National Championships in recent years. Players, officials, and visitors enjoyed excellent facilities, professional administration, and a tournament that reflected the Federation’s commitment to raising the standard of darts in South Africa,” says Thomas.

However, Thomas says there was a disappointing end to the tournament. Despite the overwhelming success of both the hosting of the Championships and the Western Cape’s historic achievements, the president of the WCDF, Azzraf Isaacs — whose Federation hosted the National Championships and witnessed Western Cape achieving a clean sweep of all six Inter-Provincial titles — was not invited onto the podium during the official closing ceremony.

“The Federation was left surprised and disappointed by this omission, particularly considering the significant contribution made by WCDF in successfully staging the Championships. WCDF remains unaware of the reasons for this decision and believes that recognition of the host federation is an important aspect of acknowledging the collective efforts required to present a successful national event,” says Thomas.

Thomas says the 2026 National Championships will be remembered not only for the medals won, but for the emergence of a new generation of Western Cape talent and the province’s commitment to excellence.

“From 12-year-old Tiah’s historic rise to Protea status, to the province’s unprecedented clean sweep of every team championship, Western Cape has firmly established itself as the benchmark for darts in South Africa. History has been written. The challenge for the rest of the country now is simple: Catch the Western Cape — if you can.”

ALSO READ: Carnival hosted by skilled darts teams