Australia crashed out of the World Cup of Darts at the group stage, losing to Canada and the United States, and now Damon Heta has hit back at the 'toxic' and 'disgraceful' social media messages he received from fans back home. Heta, a former champion in the event alongside Simon Whitlock, was partnered this year by Adam Leek, who qualified automatically as a Tour Card holder. The new dynamic drew criticism, but Heta insisted both he and Leek earned their spots.
In a statement on X, Heta said: “Unfortunately, that’s the end of the road for Australia in this year’s World Cup. Only a small percentage of people will ever understand what it’s like to pull on their country’s colours and represent them at the highest level. Every single person who wears their country’s jersey steps onto that stage giving 110% and doing everything they can to get the win. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out.” He recalled his first time on the big stage in 2014, losing 6–0, and noted that the pressure of wearing the Green & Gold is unmatched.
Heta thanked Leek for conducting himself well on stage and then turned his ire on the critics: “The comments and DMs I’ve read on social media over the last few days have been disgraceful. Nobody tears you down more than people from your own country. This is my seventh World Cup, and I’m a seasoned player, so I know how toxic it is, but it’s still sad to see. Both Adam and I earned our spots, end of story! We’ll see you all back on the World Cup stage in 2027.”