A PENPARCAU darts player missed out on a bumper pay day after making remarkable progress in a national competition.

Bricklayer Martin ‘Tom’o’ Thomas made it to the semi-final of the prestigious Champion of Champions tournament held at the Depot in Cardiff in August, losing to the eventual winner fellow Welshman David Davies.

53-year-old Thomas pocketed £1,000 for his endeavours with Davies picking up £10,000 out of a whopping £32,500 total prize fund.

256 darts players from all over the UK and Ireland qualified for the grassroots tournament and by the last 16, the line-up showcased the true depth of talent at this event — from former winners and current Welsh internationals to PDC Tour Card holders and even a USA international.

Thomas, who threw his first competitive nine darter in the Challenge Tour in Milton Keynes back in 2023, said: “To get to the semis out of 256 players was amazing and congratulations to Dai Davies for winning it.”

A few weeks later Thomas, whose son Keenan is also a very good darts player, was ‘surprised’ to get a late call-up up to play at PDC players championship on the pro tour in Hildensheim, Germany.

He said: “I received a call on the Sunday asking if I was interested to play and I bit his hand off.

“I drove over and won my first round 6-5 the next day, then I lost 6-1 to Mickey Mansell, I beat Matt Campbell from Canada 6-2 and then lost to Ryan Searle.

“It was brilliant to be called, it’s a buzz. It was a lot of travelling, 32 hours driving on my own there and back. I missed the ferry and had to get the tunnel but the things you do for what you enjoy.”

Martin is sponsored by Riverside Garden Services, Lewis Motors and TLC Construction.