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“When they first went to nationals, they said, ‘This is pretty cool,’” Bill recalled. “And then to see Peyton play for his country, it was just another level. I couldn’t be prouder.”<\/p>\n
Peyton’s rise hasn’t been overnight.<\/p>\n
He trains roughly 50 hours a week, practicing daily, sometimes four hours after school and late into the night on weekends.<\/p>\n
During COVID, online matches kept him sharp, allowing him to face opponents around the globe through online services.<\/p>\n
“I throw every day, no matter what,” he said. “It’s all about keeping focus and staying consistent.”<\/p>\n His hard work has paid off. Peyton has won roughly 100 tournaments across youth and men’s divisions, and his success at home has mirrored his achievements on the international stage.<\/p>\n This year alone, he captured titles at the Salmon Harvest at the Langford Legion and the Canadian Open Youth tournament in Quebec.<\/p>\n “For me, singles is where I thrive,” Peyton said. “It’s just me and the board. I like relying on myself.”<\/p>\n His next target is the Lakeside event in England, a prestigious youth competition that only three Canadians have ever competed in.<\/p>\n Speaking of singles, the trip to Seoul was intense. Days stretched long on concrete floors, and Peyton faced dozens of matches, but he savoured every moment.<\/p>\n “It’s busy, you throw all the time, and you have to stay mentally sharp,” Peyton said. “You can’t let your mind wander. Every throw matters.”<\/p>\n Despite the pressure, Peyton found joy in the experience, from battling international rivals to soaking in the culture of South Korea.<\/p>\n “It’s exciting, tiring, and challenging all at once,” he said. “But that’s what makes it worth it. I just love being out there, throwing, competing, and seeing how far I can go.”<\/p>\n Looking ahead, Peyton plans to pursue professional darts after graduation.<\/p>\n He would need to travel to England to compete in the Professional Darts Corporation’s three-stage Q-School, the crucial step toward earning a professional card.<\/p>\n “That’s the plan,” Peyton said. “It’s obviously easier said than done, but I really want to give this a go.”<\/p>\n For now, Peyton and the Hammond family hope to see youth darts become more common in Greater Victoria.<\/p>\n The Langford Legion will host youth drop-in events on Nov. 2 and Nov. 9 at 11:30 a.m., giving kids a chance to experience what the Hammonds know best: darts aren’t just a pub sport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Peyton Hammond claims WDF Youth Singles title in Seoul, sweeping international competition<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":158617,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,9,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-158586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regional-news","category-sports","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"251015-gng-darts3\"](\"http:\/\/interior-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/10\/251015-gng-darts3.jpg\")
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