"If I open it, I get free food, we’re out of business in six months": Justin Hood closes in on Chinese restaurant dream

Justin Hood is only a game or so from making his Chinese restaurant dream a reality after sweeping aside Ryan Meikle to reach the Last 16 of the PDC World Darts Championship.

'Happy Feet' has become one of the real characters of this PDC World Darts Championship ending the dream of Danny Noppert and he has done so again this time around with Ryan Meikle who himself got a deal with darting fortune as he saw off Jonny Tata coming back from the brink to do so.

"I feel good, but there’s still more games to go. I’m not going to celebrate until we either win it or we’re out, so I’m happy with what I’ve achieved, but there’s a lot more to come," he said post match to the media.

But while he managed to seal the win, it wasn't as explosive as his last win over Noppert, it is all about the greater good though for Hood who sees the win over individual displays as being more important.

"it’s like I say to everyone, it doesn’t matter. That Danny game is one of those games that’s going to go down for a long time, but I get just as much satisfaction winning that as I did that game. It’s all about getting that W."

By the same token he also doesn't care if he's the underdog or the favourite and used a good line that he is ultimately throwing the darts and not the bookmakers on the big stage. "I don’t look at that. I don’t care what the odds are, it doesn’t matter. I’m up there throwing them, the bookmakers aren’t, so I’m happy.

He spoke to the media before Rydz and Rock dueled in the evening and he sent his condolences to Rydz amid his personal turmoil after the passing of his grandad this past week. "I’d like to say my condolences to Callan, he lost his grandad recently. Lovely kid, and I hope his head’s alright. May the best man win, but they’ve got to face me next, so I hope they’re ready."

Asked also about how that could affect him, he said it has a massive bearing. "It’s massive. If he deals with it well, fair play to the man. It’s hard losing people, and he’s a great bloke. I really hope he’s okay."

Having been a real character thus far, he said his subdued darting persona was down solely to illness over any specific reason and that he's been struggling as of late. "I’ve been suffering the last couple of days with a cold or flu. The last couple of sets I was struggling, but I got over the line. I don’t want to let it all out early and tire myself out too much."

Asked about where this has come from, Hood admits that it's been a year of expecting everything straight away and in reality it's a school more of hard knocks. "I’ve done what I’ve always done this year — I didn’t play any darts outside the PDC. I thought I’d do a year of that and see where I am, and I realised my level ain’t good enough to do that. You’ve got to put the time in, and I have over the last five or six weeks, and it’s paying off. Thank you.

"Everyone expects you to be on telly straight away, but it doesn’t work like that. It’s hard graft. Like I said, I’ve been lazy this year, but I won’t be doing that again. I’ll be putting the time in."

He also confirmed not only how long he has had his dream of a Chinese restaurant and why he hasn't yet achieved that dream. One of the best sound bites from Q-School, that dream could become reality. "I just love the food. If I open it, I get free food — we’re out of business in six months. Fifteen years, I reckon. Fifteen or sixteen."

"I kept spending it on the food! No, we’re getting close now. I’ve got a few people interested, so one more win and I reckon next year it could happen. Asked if he reaches the Quarter-Finals whether it could happen, he said: "One hundred percent".

Whether he has the game to win the title, he maintains a pretty supreme confidence that he can provide even more darting brilliance and even win the title. "I’ve got the game in me to do it. It’s one game at a time. If I play my best stuff, I can beat everyone in this tournament. If I don’t, they can beat me — but I know what I can do.

Stephen Bunting dealt with abuse after his win including aimed at his young son, Tobias and he said something needs to be done to cull the rise of social media abuse. "One hundred percent something needs to be done. It’s hard enough for the players to read it, and then they’re messaging your family especially his kid. He’s a young boy, he ain’t got to be reading all that. The PDC or the PDPA need to step in and sort it out."