An unusual atmosphere prevails at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters. Nathan Aspinall expresses a suspicion – the PDC reacts.
English darts professional Nathan Aspinall has expressed doubts about the composition of the audience after his opening success at the first Professional Darts Corporation event in Saudi Arabia.
In an interview with Darts Now , the Englishman spoke openly about his impressions of the tournament’s start. “There’s definitely still a long way to go for us. It’s certainly different,” Aspinall said.
Nathan Aspinall expresses doubts about the composition of the audience in Riyadh
Darts in Saudi Arabia: “Not all there of their own accord”
The Englishman further explained: “I’m not stupid. I have the feeling that they weren’t all there of their own accord. It was a pretty small venue, but you have to start somewhere.”
Although the hall was well attended, the typical chants and cheers for PDC tournaments were largely absent. The tournament is the first televised PDC event where an alcohol ban applies due to strict laws in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the unusual atmosphere, Aspinall was generally positively surprised. The decisive factor, he said, was that the spectators could ultimately say: “You know what, we really enjoyed it.”
Unusual reaction amuses Aspinall
Aspinall, number 14 in the darts world rankings, defeated Filipino Lourence Ilagan (6:1) on Monday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital.
Aspinall found the audience’s reactions during his matches took some getting used to: “You threw at the triple-20 and they clapped, even though you still had two darts in your hand.”
There was also applause after missed throws. “That’s why I laughed. It was quite funny,” Aspinall added. Overall, however, his expectations were exceeded, and more spectators came than expected.
PDC reacts to pressing suspicion
The PDC contradicted the assertion that spectators were not present voluntarily. In a statement to Telegraph Sport , the association explained that Aspinall’s statements merely reflected that it was a new event in a new region.
“Many attendees experienced live darts for the first time,” it said. “As with any new market, atmosphere and audience can differ from established events in the UK and Europe,” the PDC argued.
“All spectators were present as ticket holders or guests, and we were very pleased with the great interest in the PDC’s debut in Saudi Arabia,” the PDC continued.
The Saudi Arabia Darts Masters brings together eight international stars and the eight best players from the Asian Tour and aims to further promote darts in the region.