Darts star Jonny Clayton demonstrated remarkable resilience, overcoming a severe gout flare-up to clinch his second Premier League night victory in Nottingham.
The Welshman, who could barely walk due to the debilitating inflammatory arthritis affecting his ankle, was seen limping around the stage throughout the evening.
Despite the physical agony, his throwing arm remained unaffected as he powered past formidable opponents Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting, and Luke Humphries.
This triumph not only secured him the night's honours but also propelled him eight points clear at the top of the league standings.
Gout is a persistent issue for Clayton, who manages the condition with daily medication, though its unpredictable nature means he never knows when a flare-up might strike.
“I do get flare-ups, so obviously I take medication every day,” he said following his victory.
“Funnily enough, it was in my elbow in my first year in the Premier League. So it’s moved now to my ankle.
“But I have to carry on. I don’t want to miss these nights.
“You just take your medication. I could go back to bed tonight, wake up tomorrow as if there’s nothing there. It is weird, proper weird.
“When it comes on, it gives you a warning and if you don’t catch it in time, then you know all about it. And obviously I know all about it now.”
Clayton, nicknamed ‘the Ferret’, said on Thursday night there was “no chance” he would be able to play the European Tour event in Germany and later officially pulled out.
Humphries also withdrew, leaving Michael van Gerwen as the top seed at the tournament.
World number one Luke Littler is not playing amid his ongoing boycott of events in Germany.
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