Talking Points is a regular area of the Darts World Website and involves important or smaller pieces of news or those stories which may need longer exposure than the 24hrs cycle usually allows. Darts World Extra 4’s edition was more expansive than usual:
Don’t Forget The Old Countries
Over the past decade or so there has been a lot of talk about new nations, new global areas, and yes even those dirty words; new markets. Plenty of attention has been showered upon Germany and a considerable amount of hope and investment in the Asian arena. Yet if you wish to see where the most likely new infrastructure and era-defining talent surges are taking place then you might be wiser to look to more familiar turf.
From page 31 you will see DWE’s look at the current and next generation of Dutch talent, a formidable array of styles and approaches with winning temperaments. Harry Masterson looks at half a dozen of the most prominent. Another with Dutch roots provides a link to the second area of likely success.
The Dutch Dragon Jules Van Dongen features in the CDC’s collection of legendary names and new talent. Peter Citera has developed an elite model that is thriving. In addition, the USA’s WDF member, the ADO, also seems to be doing well post covid. The platform now provided means that the legendary figures of Larry Butler and his fellow veteran Leonard Gates can play a role in both, and qualify for high-paying and distinguished majors even before World Seniors Darts is taken into account. With the Baggish, Dauby, and Campbell coming through “look West “ would be sage advice.
Oceania’s major new event and interesting crop of new talent are also worth paying attention to. Give them another year post covid and they could form a third axis of this ‘old country’ resurgence.
One of the DW Team often makes the case for the development of darts being similar to that of Tennis. He is currently citing the likely success of Eastern European players as another chapter in this story. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Finland all seem on the verge of a tungsten surge!
Too Much of a Good Thing?
While speaking recently to a good friend of Darts World, closely associated with darts for more than three decades, a couple of issues jumped out:
It can only be a matter of time before the elite level of the game begins to suffer in the same way other sports have done before. Gerwyn Price mentioned feeling ‘burned out’ by this year’s Premier League. Gary Anderson, MVG and other top stars have begun to pick and choose their events and injury and illness seem more frequent.
Phil Taylor was quick to spot that as the Pro Tour developed and more and more events, of many kinds, were available, careful selection of when to play, and when to rest, would maximise his career length and ensure his opponents would not get opportunity to get over ‘The Power’ factor.
The swelling calendar and Covid complications ensured that the majority of the game’s elite can pick and choose, at least to some extent, but the demands are still increasing (especially for unranked international events). Injury and illness are likely to become more common and may affect careers and the progress in terms of elite performance may move forward more slowly than previously or even drop back slightly.
New players always take advantage of these occasions and the different draws and, yes, weaker overall fields that result. Many players’ debut Pro Tour wins come on days where one or more of the game’s dominating figures are absent.
Our friend thinks that darts must begin to consider re-organised rankings, differently weighted events and some form of ranking protection against illness or injury. In addition the mental effects of playing, around the globe, for close to 50 weeks per year are something that cricket was confronted with in recent times and darts should get ahead of the game.
The idea that darts would have to treat its players and activities in a similar way to professional tennis and golf would have been laughed at only a few years ago. Simply remarkable progress.
Much Missed
The current accelerated development of Women’s darts has much in common with the professional games original 1970s development and possibly even more with the initial phase of the PDC (WDC originally). One thing is missing, a strong presence from North America.
From Nicky Virachku’s 3rd place in the 1978 World Championship (and his victory in the World Cup singles the following year) to John Part being the first non UK BDO World Champion and Larry Butler claiming the first PDC (WDC) World Matchplay via Sandy Reitan claiming the Women’s World Masters in 1991, North America has played a vital role in our sports most important moments.
Darts World is reminded of just how much Stacey Bromberg could and would have contributed. This remarkable champion is, despite her untimely death in 2017, technically the holder of the PDC’s Women’s World title having claimed the crown in 2010. Bromberg appeared at the Grand Slam later that same year and gained many fans with her talent and charitable fundraising.
The Wish Granter also won the Women’s Las Vegas Classic in 2003, WDF Women’s World Cup and was runner up in the 1995 World Masters.
But, it was not merely Bromberg’s record that would have suited her to today’s moment. Her Walk-On (Tom Petty’s American Girl), her principles – she refused to bend them to the political will of the ADO -, her courage displayed in competition and in battling cancer, and her colourful backstory (she was a former private eye!) would have made a fabulous North American counterpoint to the European branch of Fallon, Lisa, Aileen De Graaf et al
Much missed indeed.
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Talking Points proved so popular that it is now the opening section of every issue of Darts World Extra
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