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 nameNicky Virachkul
NicknameThe Thailand Cowboy
BornJune 3, 1948
Hollywood, Florida, United States
Died17 April 1999(1999-04-17) (aged 50)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Home townDallas, Texas
Darts information
Playing darts since1968
Darts28g
LateralityRight-handed
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO1975–1988
BDO majors – best performances
World Ch'ship3rd Place 1978
World MastersSemi Final 1980
Other tournament wins
TournamentYears
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

Career finals

WDF major finals: 1 (1 title)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Winner 1. 1979 World Cup Singles Ceri Morgan 4–3 (s)

References
  1. "National Darts Hall of Fame". Phillydarts.com. Retrieved 27 July 2015.



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