AN ISLE of Wight snooker and darts ace, who played for England in his youth, has breathed new life into his career after being hampered by injuries for years.

Craig Brown, of Newport, has quite the storied history when it comes to competitive sports.

He was an England U18s Darts Champion back in 2011, and played on the England snooker team in 2017, but he thought his time in competitive sports was over.

The 29-year-old had to undergo three operations in three years, owning to a dislocated shoulder, a dislocated elbow, and a trapped Ulnar nerve.

It meant he couldn’t play cue sports between 2019 and 2023, and his is still suffering to this day.

But Craig has adapted his game – taught himself to play with both hands – and recently saw success in Bucharest, Romania, participating in an American 9-ball competition.

He entered off the cuff and had to borrow a cue, but managed to win five games to reach the final, only losing out to winner Felix Paulinho from the Dominican Republic.

Craig has been travelling around Europe, taking his mind off the last couple of years and trying to enjoy his life again.

He’s now trying to work out which sport he wants to pursue, after tasting success in darts, snooker and pool.

He will have been to around 19 different countries by the end of the year, sightseeing, challenging random people to games, and participating in tournaments.

“It’s a bit of a hustle, really, because they don’t expect me to be any good,” said Craig.

“I’ve made so many friends around the world, just playing pool and soft-tip darts.

“It’s been a wild ride. I’ve had to adapt my game, and I can hit 180 left and right-handed, and play pool with one hand.

“They think I’m taking the mickey playing with both hands. In Europe, they think you’re a hero, though in England you might get punched.

“I’ve been playing darts and snooker my whole life and couldn’t bear to let it go.

“A big thanks to Catalin Foi, who owns Sports Bar N2 in Bucharest, for making it all possible."