LOCAL darts player Lisa Ashton is celebrating after landing herself a place at the BDO World Championships.

The 38-year-old, who plays for the Lord Raglan in the Astley Bridge Darts League, will compete against seven other women from four countries in the prestigious event at the Lakeside.

Ashton qualified after winning the Holland Open earlier this month – beating three champions in the process.

England international Ashton, who has been playing darts for 10 years, beat Julie Gore, Winmau and Dutch Masters champion Frances Hoenselaar and seven times world champion Trina Gulliver in the event in Egmond aan Zee, Bergen.

The local ace has been drawn against number one seed Gulliver once again at the Lakeside, but she has no fears after such a fine performance in the Netherlands.

“Beating three champions like that has given me lots of confidence,” said Ashton, who works as an Operations Assistant at Debt Cover in Bolton.

“Qualifying for the Lakeside is one of my greatest achievements in darts and I am very excited by it.

“I am on a massive high after winning my first major, and I am going to the Lakeside to win. There is no point turning up otherwise.

“I am confident I can do that – I have already proved what I can do.”

Ashton’s success is a boost for the sport in Bolton, and the current British Pentathlon champion added: “The standard of women’s darts is pretty high in Bolton and in good shape.

“The local leagues are highly competitive.”

Ashton faces Gulliver at 7.40pm on Saturday evening.