Not Everyone Chose to Be There
NATHAN ASPINALL has shared some provocative thoughts regarding the audience at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters.
The PDC is hosting its first-ever event in Riyadh.
This two-day tournament showcases eight of the top-ranked players competing in a 16-player knockout format as part of the World Series of Darts.
This pioneering event is being held at the 1,000-seat Global Theater, where attendees are not permitted to purchase or consume alcohol.
Aspinall recorded an impressive average of 100.93, decisively defeating PDC Asian Champion Lourence Ilagan with a score of 6-1 in the first round.
The Asp will compete against Man Lok Leung in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
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However, when questioned about the PDC’s partnership with Saudi Arabia — similar to Matchroom’s involvement in boxing and snooker — the world No. 14 had reservations.
The frank Aspinall commented to Darts Now: “I’m not certain; there’s certainly a long road ahead.
“It was undeniably a different experience.
“I’m not naïve — I could sense that not everyone was there of their own volition, if you understand what I mean.
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“While the venue was comfortable, starting somewhere is vital; every journey takes a first step.
“If people leave this event saying, ‘We really enjoyed the darts,’ and the Saudi media provides positive coverage, there’s no reason not to proceed.
“I’ve enjoyed my stay here so far; it could be worse — I could be stuck in Glossop in the snow.
“Hopefully, we can return.”
A £30,000 prize pool awaits Tuesday’s victor.
Aspinall was not the only one to note the quiet crowd at the Global Theater.
‘I KEPT LAUGHING’
The lack of atmosphere was apparent to everyone watching on TV.
One viewer even jested that it made “Bahrain look like a party” by comparison.
Aspinall found it comical how the crowd responded by applauding missed shots.
He remarked: “You look out at the audience and see everyone intensely focused on the game.
“The only challenge we faced, given that this event is new, is that when you aim for a treble 20, they’d clap — but you still have two more darts to throw.
“We’d aim for a double six and miss, and they would cheer. That’s why I couldn’t help but laugh; it was quite amusing.”
Remarkably, despite the surprisingly subdued ambiance — potentially a record low in PDC history — Danny Noppert opted to wear earplugs at the oche due to his disbelief at Leung’s performance.
