Hankey Not Out For The 'Count'

[hamo]

TED "The Count" Hankey has vowed to rule the world again.

The Bentilee-born player earlier this year quit the lucrative PDC circuit to return to the BDO, having previously taken a break from darts altogether after suffering a mild stroke during the 2012 Grand Slam of Darts tournament.

Hankey was missing from the entries for last weekend's Welsh Open, but insists he will go on to add a third BDO world title to the championships he won in 2000 and 2009.

Hankey, who first played competitive darts as a teenager at Great Eastern WMC in Bentilee, made the switch back to the BDO after his two-year tour card with the PDC expired.

He says he decided to return to the BDO after watching Stephen Bunting win their world championship at the Lakeside Country Club on television earlier this year.

"I'm still rebuilding," said the 46-year-old, who was raised in Bentilee and currently lives in Telford.

"I've been through a lot. I've had a stroke and I've gone back to the BDO, but I'm playing well in practice and within 12 months I will be back to where I want to be.

"There are great players out there in the BDO, but the advantage I have over them is that I have been doing it for 15 years.

"I have definitely got one more world title in me, and maybe the World Master title too."

[Smally Biggs]

nice report there, can't see hankey doing it again on the pro circuit though, his darts just aren't good enough anymore

fortunately he should be financially secure if and when he commits to the exhibition circuits which he fully deserves

one of the great characters of darts and on his day could through some mean arrers

[Getagrip]

LOL how will he rule the world?

He has to beat the best to do that and he has now left the PDC where the best players are?

[mc1958]

We may see him at the Masters this year as he gets an automatic invite to that as a past World Champ - but sadly I believe his best days are behind him now and I can't see him qualifying for Lakeside in January unless the top 20 or so from the BDO defect over to the PDC

[NiteEyez]

Do you really thk the Count is out now Mc1958???

Ted showed me vs Whitlock that he can still 'go'.

Id like to see him at his best as hes good for the game

[mc1958]

If he can get to the tv stages of any events then it would be good viewing, but he struggles now on the floor so I don't expect to see much more of him in the latter stages of events

[mc1958]

Ted played in the BDO International Open at Brean Sands today - got knocked out at the last 32 stage by Glen Durrant, so no money today

[dannyd180]

I wonder if the BDO might do something that world snooker has done whereby past champions get an automatic qualification to the first round/prelims or whatever. The pfoblem would be it would have to exclude defectors don't think it would be too big of an issue, but the likes of Hankey, Forham and Walton would get in for starters.

[mc1958]

I assume you mean for Lakeside - that is an idea, but I believe past WC winners still in the BDO system already get an automatic invite into the World Masters. Maybe they could change that invite to a Lakeside invite now they have increased the field to 40

[Spartan]

Apparently ted lives in my area and is not the friendliest of people (no shock)

[NiteEyez]

I wrote to him for my 12 yr old boy whose a fan. I only wanted an acknowledgent for my boy but he never replied

[Spartan]

I've never seen Ted round here and its a small town but apparently he's in the pub all day. So hopefully I'll bump into him on a league night.
That's a shame. Very poor form. Ted still has a big fan base but stuff like that will drive them away

[NiteEyez]

I was abit sad as id have thought he isnt getting 1000's of letters these days.

Was a nice letter as well. Oh well never mind!

[NiteEyez]

bit of an update.

a noticably leaner Hankey has moved up to 49 in the rankings & has been doing better on the floor in recent months.

if this continues we could see top 20 by end of year

[gumbo2176]

Hankey seems a strange dude from what I can see of him on live broadcasts. Personally, I think his best days are now behind him and he'll be lucky to get anywhere near the top 25, if that.

I'm thinking he'll be no more than cannon fodder in future tournaments and early exits are in his future.