DEFENDING Sky Bet World Grand Prix champion Colin Lloyd has revealed his determination to win back-to-back titles at the Citywest Hotel next week.
Lloyd captured his first televised title 12 months ago when he won 7-3 in the final against Alan Warriner.
He enters this year's event on a rich vein of form, and is looking to retain the World Grand Prix trophy.
"That was my first major win and I'm looking forward to going back to defend it," said the 32-year-old.
"The year has gone by really quickly but I love going to Ireland to play and I'm going to try my best to bring it back.
"It's been a successful couple of years, things have been going well and long may it continue."
Lloyd's win last year helped him close on the number one spot in the world rankings, which he took from Phil Taylor in November 2004 after a victory at the Primus Masters.
"It was the dream of an 11-year-old boy, when I first picked up a set of darts," he admitted.
"I had to go to Belgium, play in the Primus Masters and win the tournament to become world number one. I took the trip and ten hours of darts later I was world number one."
Lloyd won his second major title at July's Stan James World Matchplay, and he concedes that a subsequent sponsorship deal to wear their logo as Champion for the next 12 months is the benefit of the current boom in the professional game.
"It's been jazzed up a lot and we've got Sky Sports to thank for that," he said.
"We all want to dedicate ourselves to this game to win, and I go to the gym now three times a week and feel good in myself.
"Believe me, when you're playing on stage in front of a couple of thousand people, its a hundred degrees and you're up there for two hours you have to have that fitness.
"Instead of us being looked like 20 years ago, it is not like that now and it's more of a fun, family kind of sport."
Lloyd, who was the special guest on the "Graham and Lisa Breakfast Show" on SGR FM in Colchester, added that his experience of spending years touring the circuit is now paying off.
"A lot of people dismiss our sport, but (in Open events) you have to stay focused for the day and that takes a lot of doing," he said.
"You don't know who you're going to play or when you're going to play them and it takes a lot of focus.
"You have to get experience and, to me, you become a more accomplished player from playing in more and more tournaments."