Snakebite Fit for Ally Pally Challenge

Pumped-up Peter Wright has passed a late fitness test to face Diogo Portela and vowed: Now I want to win the Worlds. The World No 2 shocked the oche world when he was rushed to hospital on the last day of November with suspected gallstones. It placed a huge doubt on his chances of lining up for the William Hill World Championships after he cancelled all exhibitions in December. But although scans have confirmed three gallstones, Wright has lost two stone and is looking forward to facing Brazilian Portela. He said: “I'm feeling totally fine in many ways, and I'm rested. I'll be playing on Thursday and I can't wait to get back to Ally Pally. "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. "There was a chance I would have pulled out of the World Championship. "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.” Wright, 47, is thankful that he was scheduled to play the very last game of the first round enabling him more time to recover and prepare. He added: "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.” By Phil Lanning (@lannomedia)