On target: Royden Lam, Scott Mackenzie hope to shake up Hong Kong Darts Masters
Local pair, who made an impression at the World Cup in June, are eager to repeat their success in this weekend's tournament
Royden Lam and Scott Mackenzie shook up the World Cup in June and the pair are hoping to have the same effect at this weekend's Hong Kong Darts Masters as some of the biggest names in the sport prepare to duel under the Observation Wheel.
"We will be doing our best and trying to do Hong Kong proud again," said Lam. "We know this event is important for the development of the game here and we want to show local people what is possible. We want more people in Hong Kong to play darts."
Lam admitted he might have a hard time focusing on his own game, given the presence of 16-time world champion Phil "The Power" Taylor in the eight-man field, but said his confidence was high following Hong Kong's surprise passage into the World Cup quarter-finals.
He's [Phil Taylor] the best there's ever been, so to get the chance to play against him would be a dream come true
That run saw the pairing upset seventh-seeded Wales and the 10th-seeded Irish in the early rounds with Lam picking up a victory over former British Darts Organisation world champion Mark Webster of Wales, thanks to a stunning 131 finish that had the crowd in Frankfurt on their feet.
"I've never played Phil, but I watch him all the time and you can learn so much from him," said Lam. "He's the best there's ever been so to get the chance to play against him would be a dream come true. The whole field is very good, but I am playing well so you never know what can happen."
Lam (known to the darts faithful as The Wolf) begins proceedings tonight against Englishman Andy "The Hammer" Hamilton - a beaten finalist in the 2012 world championships - while Mackenzie faces up to five-time world champ Raymond "Barney" Van Barneveld of the Netherlands.
The 43-year-old Mackenzie, a man who has now played in three world championships and two world cups and who likes to be known as The Alchemist, said he hoped the Hong Kong Darts Masters was only just the beginning for the sport here.
"Darts is booming in Hong Kong and in Asia and this is a major event," said Mackenzie. "Phil Taylor is here and everyone knows him all over the world. To have that calibre of player shows the strength of the game locally and we hope that this is just the start … that Hong Kong will become part of the World Series. That would be the ultimate."
The draw
Best of 15 legs: Stephen Bunting (England) v Isen Veljic (HK); Andy Hamilton (England) v Royden Lam (HK); Raymond van Barneveld (Netherlands) v Scott Mackenzie (HK); Phil Taylor (England) v Wes Newton (England).
