Tony O’Shea has admitted he will need to make some drastic changes to his personal life if he is to be able to continue challenging for the major tournaments. The 50-year old fell at the final hurdle at last month’s BDO World Championships, losing out to Dutch qualifier Christian Kist in an absorbing final.
It was the second time O’Shea had been beaten in the World Championship final, which sums up the veteran’s career. Five major final appearances have resulted in five runners-up finishes, and now O’Shea has made it clear he wants to make the next step up and win a major. Those looking at the darts odds will be keeping an eye on his progress.
O’Shea had performed well during the tournament, recording impressive victories over defending champion Martin Adams and the exciting Wesley Harms during the earlier stages. However, it was the young Dutchman who proved to be the man-of-the-moment as he claimed a 7-5 victory, leaving O’Shea left to go away and work on how to improve.
While revealing his delight at making the final at the World Championships, the eighth-ranked player has admitted he knows if he wants to be able to continue being a force in this ever-youthful looking sport, then he’s going to need to make some personal sacrifices. Those looking at the latest betting odds need to bear this in mind.
“If somebody had offered me a final spot at the start of the week I would’ve been very happy! I played by best darts to knock Martin out but unfortunately not against Christian,” he said.
“I’m getting too old and too fat to keep up with these younger guys. I’m going to cut the beer right out. My wife, Gill, is a great cook and never feeds me junk so I know that’s not the problem.”
“People see me as a bit of a party animal – let’s have a beer with Tony – which I like, but to stay competitive I need to change my lifestyle.”