‘I do not personally know Leighton Bennett – however I feel his eight-year ban is harsh’

It has been over a week now since the World Championship draw – and I am still in the dark about who I am going to face in the first round.

It is a bit of a superstition for me ahead of major tournaments not to know who I am playing and long may it stay that way.

I could take every single measure to ensure I don’t find out – lock myself in the house, take myself offline and avoid all sporting new channels – but I have not done any of that, because deep down I know it really isn’t that bad if I discover who I am due to be playing.

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It has become, in truth, a bit of a game with myself and if it helps me to better prepare for the Worlds, then it can only be a good thing.

So, how has the preparation been going? I have been slowly increasing the practicing hours during this week and trying to ensure that I have not got too much going on in the background that might distract me.

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This means letting go of a few things – although not in the way of the viral video of me during a Players Championship match in September – and delegating them to others. The problem for me is that I don’t like giving up control and getting someone else to do these things for me.

I have tried consciously to put a few things on hold in the run up to the Worlds, and the proof in the pudding will be how I get on when I take to the stage in just over a week’s time.

As I said earlier, I have not been avoiding sporting news channels, so I am aware of the eight-year ban given to Leighton Bennett by the Darts Regulation Authority for match fixing.

Now, I don’t know all the details but Leighton has been found guilty and he should be punished. However, I just think the eight-year ban is harsh.

With this ban at just 18 years old, his professional darts career is effectively over. He has gone from darts prodigy to losing everything based on a misguided decision. I don’t personally know Leighton, but I hope there is a duty of care in place and someone is keeping an eye on him.

I know he parted ways with his manager last year and if he has been badly advised, or left to his own devices to make these wrong decisions, then surely there should be an opportunity for rehabilitation.

It happens in other sports, such as athletics and boxing, where a two or three year ban is imposed, and that person is given one final chance to put it right. He has put his whole life into darts and it is a shame he’s not going to get another opportunity at it.

As for me, I will keep up the practice and then I am off to Manchester on Friday for one final exhibition event before the World Championships and when I face off against this year’s first opponent. I wonder who it could be?