Carluke disability darts ace Jenna Kelman will captain Scotland women

Having already won a leg against Scottish professional darts ace John Henderson, Carluke’s Jenna Kelman has quite literally made her point!
Jenna Kelman pictured with professional darts ace John HendersonJenna Kelman pictured with professional darts ace John Henderson
Jenna Kelman pictured with professional darts ace John Henderson

Disability darts ace Jenna (19), who is visually impaired and has epilepsy, hit her target against the man nicknamed The Highlander during an exhibition in Glenrothes last year.

“Jenna played two legs against John,” her dad Lawrence told the Carluke and Lanark Gazette.

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“He won the first leg but she missed the bull for a 132 finish in that leg.

“In the second leg she finished it on double top, with John waiting on double two.

“I was really impressed with Jenna. I’ve got it on video, it was fantastic and she was so excited, high as a kite.

“To be fair to John he was using it as a practice game.

Gary Anderson is Jenna’s favourite player but John is a close second.

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“He’s an exceptionally nice man, one of the most liked players on the stage.

“He encouraged Jenna, giving her wee hints and tips on what to do.”

Jenna’s emergence onto the scene has seen her selected to captain the Scotland women’s squad taking on England, Wales and Northern Ireland at a Home Internationals competition in Morecambe next month.

“The whole family are chuffed for Jenna,” Lawrence said. “Me and her mum Pamela will be going to watch.

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“We are very excited. It’s not something we ever anticipated happening.”

Jenna has played darts for around four years, but she has only been in competitions since last July.

She reached the quarter-finals of the first ever Scottish Championships (for men and women in both disability categories of Classic and Compris).

“She normally gets through her group stages in the Compris section,” Lawrence said.

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“She struggles against the very good guys when she comes up against them but against the women she very rarely loses.

“Jenna has done a 14-dart leg in the house before.

“I think she does fantastically for what she has to deal with. All the people she plays with have different levels of disability.

“To stand up and throw, in Jenna’s case, takes real courage. She is not an outgoing person. Up until this she wouldn’t take part in anything at all.”

Scottish disability darts is being taken forward by Ted McMillan, the Scottish coordinator. Matches are usually the best of three or best of seven legs, counting down from 501.

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Like the able bodied pros – competitors are throwing from an oche line 7ft 9¼ away from the board.

“Jenna can see the board but she can’t see where the dart lands,” Lawrence said.

“When she’s down to a finish for example, she throws a dart then she has to ask what she’s hit and if it’s in the right segment.

“And she can’t add up, so someone has to help her with that.”