CULT HERO Motomu Sakai will celebrate his first win on the Ally Pally stage with a spot of karaoke singing in London.
And the Japanese breakthrough star – who boogied to an anime movie track during his walk-on and – reckons the more he dances on stage, the better his are.
Motomu Sakai wowed the Ally Pally crowd with his brilliant walk onCredit: PA
The zany 28-year-old danced around the PalaceCredit: PA
He also claims he only took up the sport in the first place as a teenager to find a GIRLFRIEND!
Zany Sakai knocked out France’s No.1 Thibault Tricole 3-0 in the first round of the 2025/26 .
As it went past 11pm in his Japanese home city of Chibu, the 28-year-old full-time player became an instant crowd favourite in North London with his celebrations and dance moves.
His darts were not bad either as he hit two 180s and nailed checkouts of 121 on the bull and a superb 148.
When he sealed the win on his sixth match dart, he celebrated wildly, as befits his crazy nickname, The Creature.
Speaking through a translator, he asked: “Is there karaoke here? In London? Yes, I will sing then!
“Have I always been this crazy on stage? Yes!
“I always make weird faces and everybody tells me that I look like a Creature when I do that.
Sakai gained plenty of new fans with his brilliant displayCredit: PA
The Japanese rising star produced an excellent display to advanceCredit: PA
“I believe that the more I dance, the more my darts fly well.
“I just feel very happy. I was hoping for a 3-2 win. I was very nervous. I hope 100% of the Japanese people were watching me.
“I could hear everything, all the support from behind me. That gave me a lot of power. Thank you very much. I will keep dancing.”
Sakai – who has banked at least £25,000 in prize money – will now on Saturday in round two against Swedish qualifier Andreas Harrysson, who is recognisable for his long grey beard.
And Sakai, who does not speak a word of English, mimicked the Scandinavian thrower’s facial hair with his fingers in his press conference.
He is a two-time PDC Asian Championship semi-finalist and qualified for the Worlds having won four events on the 2025 Asian Tour and finishing second on their Order of Merit.
If you fancy a flutter, he was 2,500-1 to win the £1million tournament before his first-round appearance.
Sakai said: “I’m ready for him. I’m happy that the Asian level has risen a lot and that has helped me.
“I hope there will be more opportunities for Asian players to come over here.
“My aim is to be a champion. If I won £1million, I would give some gifts to my mother and family.
“When I was 16 years old, I was told by my friends that I could become popular among girls if I played darts – so that is why I started.”
Sakai spoke through a translator after his triumphCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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