{
  "id": 871820,
  "title": "Kriya Odayar crowned best darts player in South Africa",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/kriya-odayar-crowned-best-darts-player-in-south-africa",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-14T13:10:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/thepost/2026-08-14-kriya-odayar-crowned-best-darts-player-in-south-africa/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kriya Odayar, a mother of two from South Africa, has been crowned the nation's best darts player after winning the 2026 South African National Darts Championships in Cape Town. The 40-year-old dedicated her victory to her late father, Morgan, who would have been present to witness her remarkable achievement. Odayar began playing darts in 2013 to spend time with her father, a respected member of the Chatsworth and District Darts Association (CDDA). Her mother, Saroj, is also a skilled player and her favorite doubles partner. Together, the mother-daughter duo has won the South African National Doubles Championship three times. Odayar's journey in darts was sparked when her father invited her to a league fixture without her knowledge and entered her into the singles knockout competition. She finished in the Top 10, igniting her passion for the sport. Odayar has competed internationally in Romania (2019) and South Korea (2025), reaching a highest-ever ranking of 167. She believes darts has taught her that success is not solely determined by trophies but by perseverance, discipline, and the courage to keep progressing despite challenges. Odayar encourages fellow players to believe in themselves, enjoy the journey, and continually strive for improvement.",
  "summary": "Odayar, 40, counted it a great honour to have landed the victory, but wished that her late father, Morgan, could have been present to witness her most outstanding accomplishment in the sport, and duly dedicated the win to him.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Chronicle Ghana",
        "title": "Foreign Affairs Minister thanks Church of Pentecost for support to Ghanaians during South Africa xenophobic attacks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/foreign-affairs-minister-thanks-church-of-pentecost-for-support-to",
        "published": "2026-08-14T09:27:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "The gender employment gap in South Africa: Challenges for women",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/the-gender-employment-gap-in-south-africa-challenges-for-women",
        "published": "2026-08-14T13:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}