Aryan Khalsa practising his throw/ TEDDY MULEITeenage darts sensation Aryan Khalsa is eyeing top results as he gears up for the International Darts School League (IDSL) Championship set for November 30 in Portsmouth, UK.
The IDSL, a prestigious global programme, offers a pathway for emerging players to showcase their skills on the international stage.
The championship marks the grand finale of qualifying events held across several countries, charting a route from local school circuits to global competition.
At just 14, Aryan is widely regarded as Kenya’s next big darts prospect. He believes recent tournaments have sharpened him for the challenge ahead.
“My confidence has gone up quite a bit because now I know what I’m capable of, especially at that high level,” he said. “Competing in top tournaments has prepared me well for the IDSL.”
Aryan heads to Portsmouth fresh from an impressive outing at the WDF World Masters in Budapest on November 2, where he reached the last 16 before bowing out to Belgium’s Oden Ollevier in a 4–1 duel.
“My experience at the WDF was amazing. The level of play in the juniors is very high and competitive,” he said. “I’ve learnt to handle pressure because the IDSL comes with a lot of it—it’s a different ball game altogether.”
Before Budapest, Aryan featured in the Hungarian Masters Youth Tournament (October 25–26), beating home favourite Daniel Csoka 4–2 and England’s Arthur Allston 4–3 before losing 4–1 in the quarterfinals to Dutch star Milan Brinkman.
“I enjoyed the competition a lot because it gave me exposure to a big tournament of that calibre,” he said.
Balancing schoolwork and training remains a challenge. “I usually get home, finish my schoolwork, and then practice for about one to two hours,” Aryan said.
He credited his parents’ unwavering support: “Having my parents support me through all this means a lot. They help me prepare mentally for big events like the WDF.”
