MOTOMU Sakai is a darts sensation from Tokyo who has captivated audiences with his showman’s style and silly smile.
While his 2025/26 PDC World Darts Championship campaign has come to an end, he made a massive impression on his debut on the game’s biggest stage.
Who is Motomu Sakai?
Motomu Sakai, born on December 3, 1997, in Tokyo, Japan, began playing darts as a teen to impress the ladies.
He said: “When I was 16 years old, my friends told me that I could become popular among girls if I could play darts. So that’s why I started.”
His nickname, “The Creature”, stems from the strange faces he pulls during his matches.
Also known as “Motchi”, an affectionate shortening of his first name, he earned his spot at Alexandra Palace by finishing third on the PDC Asian Tour Order of Merit.
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Sakai believes dancing improves his darts, often shimmying on stage and celebrating sets with exaggerated moves.
He said: “I believe the more I dance, the more my darts fly well.”
Sakai’s entertaining persona, including the constant “thank yous” in pressers, has won him an army of global fans despite his modest stats.
In his Ally Pally debut, he was a big hit right from the off, overcoming France’s Thibault Tricole in the first round, averaging 87.38 with a 148 checkout.
During his walk-on to Ojamajo Carnival!! by MAHO-dou – the opening theme of anime series Ojamajo Doremi – he high-fived and signed autographs for the fans, before bouncing around the stage and cutting some shapes.
But in the second round Swedish darts veteran Andreas Harrysson knocked Sakai out with a clinical 3-0 whitewash.
Despite the defeat, Sakai won even more hearts with his gracious “thank you” bows to the roaring Ally Pally audience, declaring his desire to return stronger next year as Japan’s darts ambassador.
Harrysson even praised the “electric” Japanese star’s showmanship.
Before tasting defeat, when asked what he’d do with the £1million winnings, Sakai said: “First, I would give many gifts to my mother. House. House. To my family.”
But not everyone’s a fan of the theatrics, with three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen telling talkSPORT: “Some dart players now think their walk-on music makes them a better dart player.
“Some people have started to believe too much in themselves now.
“They all milk it because their ability is a little bit less, so they have to try and get the crowd on their side somehow.”
