Who is Leonard Gates? Ex-baseball star dances his way to darts win at Ally Pally
- US darts player Leonard Gates made a winning start at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace on Friday.
- Gates, who is a former minor league baseball player, switched to darts and had made the second round of the PDC World Championship on two previous occasions.
- The 55-year-old who has the nickname “Soulger” - a nod to his love of soul music - danced his way to the Ally Pally stage while donning a pair of sunglasses, and was keen for the crowd to get involved.
- He was involved in a tense clash with Northern Ireland’s Mickey Mansell, with nothing to separate the pair across the first four sets.
- A fifth-set decider was needed and Gates held his nerve to secure a 3-2 victory, before proceeding to show off his dance moves again as he soaked up the Ally Pally atmosphere.