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You are in: Special Events: 2000: World Darts Championship |
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Monday, 15 January, 2001, 18:07 GMT
Dazzler: 'Darts is our sport'
BBC pundit Bobby George gives his candid response to BBC Sport Online on accusations that darts is a game and not a sport.
All this controversy about darts always happens every year after the world championships. There are always 'Hooray Henry's' who can't accept there are other sports apart from cricket and rugby. They think that just because darts doesn't involve a ball, it's not a sport. Is ballrooming dancing a sport? It's recognised as a sport but I don't see any balls there.
I think any competitive game becomes a sport when a certain amount of people play it. And with over 38,000 players playing at inter-county level and over 54 countries compete for entry into the Embassy World Masters, you have your big-time numbers. The person that doesn't play the game doesn't think it is a sport. But I don't think golf is a sport, so it's up to the individual. But who has the right to say what is and what isn't a sport? There is always this chat about darts players not being athletes. Alright, so we're not exactly at our physical best, but that doesn't mean we're not fit. It requires mental and physical strength to become a top-class darts player. I would defy anyone to throw for 10 hours and not ache afterwards. All the sport's detractors would be surprised by how much it hurts.
The effort it requires hitting a cricket ball with a bat is just the same as with a dart - I don't see the difference. Some people have compared archery and shooting to darts. But I think there's a significant difference. You are using a machine to fire a shot. In darts, you are relying on just your arm, nothing else. Both archery and shooting are considered sports and I don't see the ball there. Try telling the lad who won Olympic gold in Sydney that shooting isn't a sport. As far as I'm concerned the people who aren't interested in darts should keep it that way. Don't intefere in our game and we won't in yours.
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See also:
15 Jan 01 | World Darts Championship
11 Jan 01 | World Darts Championship
10 Jan 01 | World Darts Championship
07 Jan 01 | World Darts Championship
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