Darts is on the rise here and elsewhere. Especially the professional organization PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) runs its players to the bright lights with a heavy heart.
The product is fine: last year’s World Cup final was watched by 4.8 million viewers via Sky Sports. The figure is the channel’s highest number of viewers for a single sporting event, unless football broadcasts are counted.
In recent years, the sport that was considered very British is also spreading around the world. The 128 bowlers on this year’s PDC professional tour came from a total of 23 countries. Last year’s WDF (World Darts Federation) team World Championships featured players from 49 countries, including the Bahamas and Mongolia.
Darts has grown from a pub game to a parlor game, and the level of the sport is currently higher than ever before.
The level of female players has also developed tremendously in the last ten years, and women have slowly begun to break into the elite of a sport considered male – also in the open series.
In 2019 Fallon from Sherrock became the first female player to win a male darts World Championship.
Sherrock advanced to the third round and earned an eternal reputation as a glass ceiling breaker. She was nicknamed “Queen of the Palace” after the World Cup arena, London’s Alexandra Palace.
On this basis, e.g. Beau Greaves, Lisa Ashton and Mikuru Suzukiwho have proven their ability against men in several international competitions, although at least for now without trophies.
Sherrock went wild in Helsinki too
At the end of November, Sherrock was flown to the Helsinki Cultural Center with three male professionals.
The familiar manners of the PDC were repeated on a slightly smaller scale: the stars and their Finnish opponents were marched onto the stage through the audience, the fans got a moment to touch their favorite and the players’ signature songs roared. On the stage, the master of ceremonies presented Nicknames and greatest achievements.
Dressed in his signature pink shirt, the English star received an enthusiastic reception from the Finns as well. In the evening in Helsinki, Sherrock knocked out his Finnish male opponent, the audience roared and pink Sherrock shirts could be seen in the stands – gratifyingly on the men.
In a newspaper interview, Sherrock has stated that women had to give men a ten-year head start. However, when going into a race, he does not measure his opponent by gender.
– I personally don’t see any difference between women and men in darts. I have proven that I can beat any man, and I don’t care if there is a woman or a man against me on the big stage, Sherrock assured Urheilu.
PDC tournaments are basically open to anyone who clears the complicated qualifying system or earns a place in the smaller regional tournaments by success.
However, none of the 128 spots on this year’s PDC professional tour were held by women. In addition, the women had to go through their own series of 24 competitions, which resulted in two getting a place in the World Championships and one in the Grand Slam of Darts tournament. Sounds like hard work, but Sherrock denied the claim.
– No, but that’s a good thing. We are moving forward in small steps and women now have unprecedented opportunities. As more women become interested in the sport and we show that we can do it, we will get more opportunities, Sherrock pointed out.
More money, more female pitchers
Sherrock had a clear explanation for the skyrocketing rise in the women’s level.
– There are bigger prize money and tough games. Women are eager to exercise. Of course, there is still room for improvement, but the increased hard games will also help with that. All in all, there is more to aim for now.
– Last year there were 20 events in the PDC women’s series, so now we got the four more tough races we wanted. Maybe in a few years we will have four places in the World Cup.
According to the top men of the PDC, women need to earn their place among men in order to get more attention. The PDC says that it offers women the right opportunity to join the ring of the best throwers, but at the same time admits that the current development will probably only be enjoyed by the female throwers of the future.
Who knows what will happen in this year’s World Cup. There is sure to be a lot of buzz when Sherrock play their compatriots in the first round on Tuesday 17th December Ryan Meikle against. If the “Queen of the Palace” wins, the prodigy will face off next Luke Littler.
The second female thrower at the World Championships is Dutch Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
Finland follows
The best female thrower in Finland at the moment is from Pieksämäkä Kirsi Viinikainen.
– Yes, you can now see that new female throwers have arrived, and then you can also see that there are those who have thrown once before, so they start again. Yes, there are still fewer of those girls, but that’s how it’s always been, says Viinikainen.
– Unfortunately, the level in women has not risen terribly yet. The level difference between men and women is still quite large. Yes, we have tried to think about it, think about it and even discuss it with the women sometimes on trips to competitions, but I can’t really say what the reason for that is in the end games, Viinikainen reflects.
There are no physical limitations in darts for women. At the moment, women in Finland need guidance and encouragement above all.
– A few of those who have just started have wished for personal guidance, so that there would be someone in connection with the games who they could ask questions about and who could give advice on throwing and anywhere else, says Viinikainen.
No more girling
At least in the sense that development has already taken place, that today there is no girling and men are no longer surprised to meet a woman on the darts court.
– At one time, when I went to the line myself and a man met me, you could hear from there that “at least I won’t lose to a woman”. There were a few such throws, but they have decreased. I haven’t heard from Mr. Viinikainen in a while, states Viinikainen.
Women have their own league in Finland, but nothing prevents them from playing in an open league. Viinikainen, who represents Ressu DC from Pielaveti, has been playing in the open, i.e. men’s, league for many years.
At the beginning of December, he played for the first time in the World Cup tournament of the WDF association. Viinikainen beat her opponent in the opening round of the women’s competition, but the bad luck of the draw threw her next against the current number one player in the world, Beau Greaves from England.
Against Greaves, Viinikainen was even close the ideal score of nine darts. However, after seven perfect darts (i.e. triple 20), the eighth dart missed the desired target.
In the PDC women’s series, Viinikainen threw all 24 races in the past season.
Viinikainen reminds that it would be important to face hard throwers both at home and abroad. Development and self-confidence come if you dare to put pressure on yourself and compete in bigger competitions.
– In February, the PDC series will start moving forward again. And in fact, there are no less than seven Finnish women going there at the moment. It’s really nice that they go and try what it’s like there.
– And then I play these WDF competitions. Let’s try that road Raivata again to that World Cup tournament, yes, it was such a great experience, Viinikainen concludes.