Nicky Virachkul
Nicky Virachkul (June 3, 1948 – April 17, 1999) was an American professional darts player who competed in the 1970s and 1980s.
| Nicky Virachkul | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Nicky Virachkul |
| Nickname | The Thailand Cowboy |
| Born | June 3, 1948 Hollywood, Florida, United States |
| Died | 17 April 1999 (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Home town | Dallas, Texas |
| Darts information | |
| Playing darts since | 1968 |
| Darts | 28g |
| Laterality | Right-handed |
| Organisation (see split in darts) | |
| BDO | 1975–1988 |
| BDO majors – best performances | |
| World Ch'ship | 3rd Place 1978 |
| World Masters | Semi Final 1980 |
| Other tournament wins | |
| Tournament | Years |
| Windy City Open WDF World Cup Singles North American Open Dallas Open Camellia Classic | 1978 1979 1982 1983 1986, 1987 |
| Other achievements | |
| 1996 National Darts Hall of Fame inductee | |
Darts career
Nicky Virachkul was born in Thailand, studied in the United States and became a naturalized citizen. He represented the United States internationally in dart tournaments.
Virachkul competed at the first Embassy World Darts Championship in 1978, losing narrowly by 7–8 in the semi-final to eventual champion, Leighton Rees. He won third place in a play-off by defeating Stefan Lord. Virachakul reached the quarter-finals on three other occasions: in 1981 (losing to Eric Bristow), 1982 (losing to Bobby George) and 1984 (losing to Dave Whitcombe). Despite his respectable record, it was nevertheless a surprise when he defeated the defending World Champion, Keith Deller, in the first round of the 1984 World Championship. Deller had his revenge in the first round the following year. The 1985 championship was Virachkul's last appearance in the final stages. Despite competing in the first eight World Championships, he never again qualified after the tournament moved to the Lakeside Country Club in 1986.
Virachkul competed in the third WDF World Cup darts tournament in 1979 and won the singles title. In 1980 he reached the semi-finals of the Winmau World Masters. He also won the 1978 Windy City Open, the 1982 North American Open and the 1983 Dallas Open.
Nicky Virachkul was inducted into the National Darts Hall of Fame in 1996.[1]
Death
Suffering from cancer, Virachkul returned home to Thailand, where he died in 1999 at the age of 50 in United States of America.
World Championship Results
BDO
- 1978: 3rd Place (beat Stefan Lord 4–5) (legs)
- 1979: 2nd Round (lost to Alan Glazier 1–2) (sets)
- 1980: 2nd Round (lost to Bill Lennard 0–2)
- 1981: Quarter Finals (lost to Eric Bristow 0–4)
- 1982: Quarter Finals (lost to Bobby George 1–4)
- 1983: 1st Round (lost to Keith Deller 1–2)
- 1984: Quarter Finals (lost to Dave Whitcombe 0–5)
- 1985: 1st Round (lost to Keith Deller 0–2)
Career finals
WDF major finals: 1 (1 title)
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
| Winner | 1. | 1979 | World Cup Singles | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ceri Morgan |
4–3 (s) |
References
- "National Darts Hall of Fame". Phillydarts.com. Retrieved 27 July 2015.