World Darts Championship: Peter 'Snakebite' Wright confirms he will play
Wednesday 20 December 2017 16:55, UK
Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright is fit to play at the World Darts Championship despite being rushed to hospital last month.
Scans confirmed that Wright is suffering with gallstones, forcing him to cancel exhibition matches earlier in December, but his health has improved sufficiently for him to play on Thursday against Diogo Portela.
"I'll be playing on Thursday and I can't wait to get back to Ally Pally," said Wright, the world No 2. "I'm feeling totally fine in many ways, and I'm rested.
There was a chance I would have pulled out of the World Championship. The pain was really bad when I went into hospital.
Live World Darts Championship
"I'm still waiting to hear back from the doctors following my scan and it might be that I need some further treatment in the next few weeks, but I've done everything I can to recover so far.
"I've been eating really healthily, getting lots of rest, taking the medication and doing all the right things, and it's all looking good.
"I've lost almost two stones in weight and I'm feeling okay for that, and I'll keep doing the right things during the tournament until I hear what the doctors have planned."
Wright was a serious doubt to participate in the end-of-year showpiece which has already seen established names James Wade, Dave Chisnall and Adrian Lewis eliminated.
"There was a chance I would have pulled out of the World Championship," Wright said.
"The pain was really bad when I went into hospital, and if I'd had to have had an operation then I would have pulled out because my health's more important.
"But it's great that I can play against Diogo on Thursday and I want to do my best to win this title now.
"I've been doing some practising but nowhere near what I'd normally be doing ahead of the World Championship.
"Fortunately the schedule had come out and I was on the last day of the first round, so I've had a week longer than I might have had to recover.
"I had a couple of weeks of doing nothing, but I'm mentally fresh, which is the most important thing.
"My mental state is great. You can over-practice and then analyse too much, and that can put too much pressure on you, which I've done before.
"I've got my head correct, the right set-up of my darts and my target is to have the highest average of the first round!"
Wright was beaten in last year's semi-finals by Gary Anderson but has since overtaken his Scottish compatriot as the PDC's second-ranked player.
The 2018 World Championship from Alexandra Palace continues on Wednesday night with coverage underway from 7pm on Sky Sports Darts and ending with the final on New Year's Day.
Keep up to date with the news as the PDC celebrates 25 years on Sky Sports. So get all the latest at www.skysports.com/darts and join in the conversation @SkySportsDarts - don't forget to use #LoveTheDarts
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