Filipino dart players finish 1-2 in World Soft Darts championships

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino Lourence Ilagan ruled The World 2013 Soft Darts championships by besting compatriot Christian Perez in the grand finals held in Hong Kong last week.

Ilagan, who has represented the country in various competitions in recent years, made the Philippines proud anew by being the first Filipino international darts champion.

“I was carrying the Philippines on my shoulders that time,” the 35-year-old darter said in a interview posted on Dartslivevideo YouTube page.

Ilagan bagged one million Hong Kong dollars (P5.7 million).

Ilagan defeated United States’ R Van Duersen to set up a finals meeting with the Koronadal native Perez, who dispatched Croatia’s Boris Krcmar, according to the tourney’s website.

“Christian, he’s very well known in the Philippines. He’s a very good player. I know he will soon become a champion someday,” Ilagan also said.

It was another bridesmaid finish for the 31-year-old Perez, who yielded to Takehiro suzuki of Japan last year.

This year, Ilagan won two stages (stage 5 and 6) of the tournament, which included powerhouse nations like the US, Japan, Singapore and United Kingdom, while Perez brought home stage 7.