History-maker Fallon Sherrock became the first female winner at the PDC World Darts Championship in 2019, while also reaching the last eight of the Grand Slam of Darts in 2021 before winning the inaugural Women's World Matchplay in 2022
Friday 16 June 2023 23:14, UK
Fallon Sherrock has been awarded an MBE in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours list to recognise her services to the sport of darts.
Sherrock has made a huge global impact for women's darts in recent years, starting with her history-making wins over Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic as she became the first female winner at the PDC World Darts Championship in December 2019.
She later reached the final of the 2021 Nordic Darts Masters event, losing to Michael van Gerwen, and also reached the Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals that year.
Sherrock then won the inaugural Women's World Matchplay in July 2022, while she has also won 10 PDC Women's Series titles since the tour was introduced in 2020 and became the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish in a PDC event on the Challenge Tour earlier this year.
"I am looking forward to visiting Buckingham Palace to receive this honour, which I regard as a reflection of the enormous popularity of darts and as a symbol of hope and possibility for aspiring darts players and sportswomen across the country."
"I am honoured and overwhelmed to have been awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours for services to darts," said Sherrock, who earned the nickname 'Queen of the Palace'.
"To have received this level of recognition for my contribution to the game I love is beyond my wildest dreams.
"I never considered that I would ever receive such an esteemed honour and I am beyond grateful.
"I have been fortunate to hear of the widespread impact that my success has had in getting more people watching and playing darts, and particularly in inspiring girls and young women to take up darts and other sports. That makes me incredibly proud and excited.
"That is a worthwhile legacy, all stemming from one landmark moment at Alexandra Palace followed by other successes, and is something that I want to continue to promote.
"I am looking forward to visiting Buckingham Palace to receive this honour, which I regard as a reflection of the enormous popularity of darts and as a symbol of hope and possibility for aspiring darts players and sportswomen across the country."
That success on the oche has helped her become a household name, appearing on several TV shows as a celebrity guest.
Sherrock, who is in line to defend her Women's World Matchplay title next month in Blackpool, joins illustrious company in former world champions Eric Bristow and John Lowe and fellow female star Trina Gulliver as darts stars to be awarded the MBE.
"We congratulate Fallon on being awarded the MBE and this is a great recognition for the impact she has made in the sport in recent years," said PDC chief executive Matt Porter.
"She has been a global trailblazer for women's darts and has helped to raise standards in women's darts to a new level.
"This will be another boost for women's darts and we also hope that this can spur on Fallon to further success."
Alongside the introduction of the Women's World Matchplay in 2022, which is broadcast globally and played at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool during the World Matchplay, the PDC Women's Series has expanded this year to 24 events and saw prize money doubled to £10,000 per tournament.
The PDC's commitment to women's darts also includes places in the World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts, giving players the chance to test themselves alongside the biggest names in the sport.
Lisa Ashton held a PDC Tour Card in 2020/2021, while Beau Greaves won an incredible ten events in a row and has claimed 12 titles in under a year on the PDC Women's Series circuit.
Adil Rashid and Lydia Greenway's cricketing careers and community endeavours have also been recognised in the Birthday Honours list.
Rashid, 35, has been made an MBE for services to cricket, as has fellow England player Sam Curran.
Greenway, who won 225 caps across three formats for England before retiring in 2016 and setting up the Cricket For Girls academy, becomes an OBE.
Like Greenway, leg-spinner Rashid has sought to give back to his sport via the Adil Rashid Cricket Centre in his home city of Bradford.
Ex-England rugby captain Sarah Hunter was also among the sporting stars recognised.
Hunter, who won a record 141 caps and was part of the team which won the 2014 World Cup, has become a CBE, and is one of a number of influential women on the list.
