The Falkland Islands may well be an archipelago of just a few thousand people, but it was no doubt rocking on Saturday when Temis Smith was crowned UDUK Southern Singles champion.

Smith fended off a strong field in Southampton to get his hands on one of the biggest tournaments in university darts, averaging 69 in his 6-3 defeat of Jacob Cope in Saturday's final.

Smith, from Southampton Solent University, began his darts journey some time ago. "I’m from Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands," he told us. "It’s a small, close-knit community where everyone tends to know each other. We’re the furthest British Overseas Territory. The Falklands has a great darts community that’s really supportive, which has helped me to keep improving."

"I first got involved in darts because of my family. We all used to watch the world darts championships at Christmas. I come from a darting family, with both men and women from the family winning trophies and competitions in the Falklands. I started playing darts at a very young age, around six or seven, practising with all my family."

"I first started playing competitive darts around thirteen in junior competitions, where I won all the tournaments I played in until I was seventeen. Then, at eighteen, I transitioned to pub league darts and also played in local competitions."

This year, Smith won one of his islands' biggest tournaments, the Governors Cup, but has his sights set further. "Currently, I’m competing at both local and national representative levels, playing in tournaments in the Falklands and abroad whenever possible. Next year, I’ll be entering the PDC Development Tour with the hopes of progressing as far as possible in competitive darts."

"My aim is to continue developing my consistency and confidence on the oche, and hopefully represent the Falkland Islands more widely in international competitions. In the long term, I’d love to help raise the profile of darts back home and inspire more young players to get involved."

As for this competition win, it's another step further to success. "It felt amazing! Despite having some tough matches, coming out on top was incredibly rewarding. I was proud of how I maintained my focus under pressure and stuck to my game plan. Winning is always great, but it’s also about learning from each game. This one definitely gave me a boost of confidence for the challenges."

We wish Temis all the best for the future and he hope he continues to make Solent and UDUK proud.

(Image Credits: UDUK)

Falkland Islander Temis Smith on Southern Singles success