Scott MacKenzie hopes England move will lift world championship chances

Hong Kong darts ace Scott MacKenzie is hoping his decision to move to England last year to improve his game pays dividends as he gears up for a third attempt at the world championship starting next week.

MacKenzie became the first Hong Kong player to qualify for the championship in 2011 but failed to get beyond the first round then and in 2012, prompting his decision to seek a more competitive environment.

This time, MacKenzie will have a teammate, Alex Hon, alongside when they start the preliminary round at Alexander Palace in London on December 18. MacKenzie will meet Daryl Gurney, of Northern Ireland, while Hon's opponent will be South African Nolan Arendse.

"This will be the first time we have two Hong Kong players in the world event and hopefully it gives us a better chance," said MacKenzie, who qualified for the tournament from England, while Hon won the Greater China qualifiers in Shanghai, where he beat over 30 mainland contenders.

"I went back to England last year because I wanted to play more and gain experience as the standard in England is much higher and they have a bigger population of darts players," said MacKenzie, who originally moved to Hong Kong in 1996.

There are more than 10,000 registered darts players in Hong Kong but only a few of them play on a semi-professional basis.