Nagaland’s Vikehelie Suohu secures runner-up at PDC ‘India Qualifier’

Northeast’s lone entrant to make it this far

Kanili Kiho
Dimapur | November 17

Darts player from Nagaland, Vikehelie Suohu secured a runner-up in the recently concluded 2021/22 Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championship ‘India Qualifier’ which was held on November 7 in Surat, Gujarat under the aegis of the Indian Darts Federation.

He lost in the final match against India’s number 1 – Nitin Kumar from Dubai. With just one slot in India’s qualifier, a win for Suohu would have guaranteed him the spot to represent India at the PDC World Darts Championship to be held in London this December.

He has nonetheless made a big impression at the Indian circuit with his great run in the tournament. Vikehelie Suohu, 37 is from Kohima village. When he's not flinging darts at a board, one will find him working as a UDA in the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE). In conversation with The Morung Express, Suohu said that it was a thrilling moment and an honor to play the final against India's number 1 professional darts player Nitin Kumar, nicknamed ‘The Royal Bengal.’ After going through some tough phase this year, it was “something that brought me cheer,” he said.

This is Suohu’s second shot at the PDC India Qualifier, his first being in 2019 along with fellow Naga darter Lima Longchar. Suohu is a first from the Northeast region to make it this far in India’s qualifier. In addition, he secured a joint 3rd (team event) and joint 9th (singles) in the National Darts Championship in 2019, and went on winning the Fun Tree Crew’s (FTC) Darts Master 2019 and 2020 which is Northeast’s biggest darts event in the region.

“We hope and pray that he will one day win the coveted India Qualifier and represent us all at the world stage,” said FTC’s Thejakhrietuo Kire, congratulating him on coming thus far.

Why Darts?

Suohu's darts journey came about in 2013 when he was first introduced to it by a friend Thejakielie Zuyie who had put up a dartboard in his café in Kohima. However, he went on a hiatus, and it was in 2019 that he picked up pace. Since then, the father of three devotes his time on the game every single day. “Whatever time I can spare from my daily schedule, I fully invest on the game for an hour or two every day and two to three hours of practice during tournaments,” he said.

The game of darts is a pure sport with a simple set of rules, which has no age or gender restrictions. “It’s about 95% in the head, which makes it vital to be mentally fit, disciplined and in focus,” said Suohu. “I am still an amateur pursuing professionalism, but according to me, to become a pro dart player, one has to be regular and consistent in one’s practice.”

‘Introduce darts to Naga youth'

As a family man and a government servant, while he cannot commit 100% of his time on the game at present, that doesn’t stop his dart-dream. Suohu wishes to introduce this sport to the Naga youth who are apparently putting in most of their time to virtual games on their smartphones. If this sport is given serious consideration and carried forward with sincerity and dedication, there is ample platform and opportunities to be taken up as a profession, he said.

“As an ambitious dart player, my dream plan is to open a youth darts academy in Kohima, where the youngsters can be coached and moulded to make them capable of participating in the national and international youth events,” added Suohu.

Keeping high hopes that the recent experience will push him to further heights, Suohu acknowledged his friend Zuyei and everyone who has been supporting him through thick and thin. He also thanked the Fun Tree Crew for hosting the darts event, which has “immensely helped me in my darts experience.”

Suohu further congratulated Nitin on his win. “Wishing him all the very best for the upcoming 2021/22 PDC World Darts Championship to be held at Alexandra Palace, London,” he added.