Hello readers all over the world, it’s nice to be back with another article. It’s time to put some Asian players in the spotlight again and this time it will be about the Asian teams who played at the 2025 PDC World Cup of Darts. Held in Frankfurt, some of our teams got really far into the tournament, while others sadly went out after the first round.
Thanks to the PDC, Mastercaller and of course the amazing players, AsianDarts was able to speak to the teams from Malaysia, India, Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong. All of the interviews can be found below. Especially in the press conferences, the questions are for one part related to the World Cup, but I also tried to ask questions that are interesting in general if you want to learn more about these players and Asian darts.
Last month AsianDarts published an article about darts in Kazakhstan. Through the publishing of that article, I was also able to learn more about the neighbouring country Uzbekistan and their darts community. The organizers of both countries are now joining forces to grow darts in both countries. But first, let’s talk about darts in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan is a country with a very small darts community. There are no big tournaments but only regional ones in small towns. Maksim Kim organized a lot of tournaments in the Sirdarya region. Maksim organized small competitions in his town, but he also travelled to Almaty (17 hours by train) to join the Shakespeare Cup tournaments in Kazakhstan. Asking why, Maksim says he wants to get better at darts and he’s happy to join the Shakespeare Cup in Almaty for that. The first time he visited Almaty, he went together with one of Uzbekistan’s best and most active ladies players, Zarema Seitova. Together they won silver in the pairs competition, making name for themselves. On top of that, Zarema won gold at the Ladies Competition and Maksim won gold at the Main Competition.
Zarema Seitova with her gold medal
The amount of players playing in the tournaments in Uzbekistan are about 30 men and 9 women. They all live in the same district as Maksim and during those tournaments, the participants also tend to eat a meal together, making it a fun day among a tight community.
But in such a small darts-country, how did Maksim even start playing darts? Where did his interest for the sport come from?
His darts journey starts way back in 1993, when Maksim first picked up a dart. In 1996 he became Champion of Sirdarya town and later that year he won Silver in the Syrdaria Regional tournament (there is both a region and a city of Sirdarya). In 1997 he quit darts because of personal reasons like marriage and family. In Uzbekistan, darts was at it’s peak in 1996 and stayed kind of popular until 2010. After that, the interest for darts faded away in Uzbekistan, leaving only regional tournaments in Sirdarya. In 2019, Maksim decided to pick up darts seriously again, organizing tournaments and training on daily base.
Maksim after winning first place.
On a central level, there hardly is anything being organized for darts in Uzbekistan. There is a federation which created a website, but there is no activity in the country yet. All dartsplayers of Uzbekistan are waiting for the federation to start working. Maksim recently moved to Kazakhstan to help with building a darts academy in Almaty. Together with Yelzhan Maulenov and Mukhambetov Alimzhan he tries to make darts in Kazakhstan even more popular and they’re trying to grow the sport over there. Asking if there are any plans to grow the sport in Uzbekistan as well, they answer: ‘Yes, we plan to enlarge DARTS Academy darts-clubs appearance in Tashkent (UZ), Sirdarya (UZ) and also other cities in Kazakhstan. We have contacts to discuss, but unfortunately no real starts as for now.’
Maksim is still helping other organizers of local tournaments in Uzbekistan from a distance, so that the tight community is staying strong. And who knows, maybe in the future darts in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will thrive again.
On January 13th 2024, something really exciting happened: For the first time, a player from Kazakhstan participated in the PDC Asian Tour. Violetta Chsherbakova participated in Asian Tour 02, which was held in Dubai. In 2020, AsianDarts was made as a platform for darts in as many Asian countries possible, but it’s not always easy to find the right information on darts in certain countries. But after months of preparation, searching, translating, talking and interviewing, I am proud to have written an article about darts in Kazakhstan. Please enjoy.
Picture: Grouppicture with players at the 2nd Shakespeare Darts Cup
First, let’s start in 1989 when Kazakhstan was part of the the Soviet-Union, or the USSR. This year, the Wall of Berlin fell and East and West Germany became one united country again. After that more and more regions of the Soviet Union started declaring their independency, with Kazakhstan doing so in 1990. In 1991 the USSR dissolved and Kazakhstan became one of the new countries in Asia. Violetta Chsherbakova, the first player from Kazakhstan on the Asian Tour, was actually born in the USSR. ‘My city was given to Kazakhstan in 1991 and therefor I’ve been a citizen from Kazakhstan since 1991. I used to work in a casino and my hobbies were playing hockey, soccer and helping my father out in the garage. Seeing a dartboard for the first time reminded me of those hobbies, and my love for numbers’. Chsherbakova started playing darts when she lived in Abu Dhabi, so she has never played darts in Kazakhstan before. In Abu Dhabi, she plays local leagues among the men, trying to combine this with being a single mother of two. ‘The plan was originally to fly to the Philippines to play there as well, but the plans changed at the last moment. I can be hard to manage, so I was only able to play in Asian Tour 02.’
In 1994, American ‘John Strafford’ moved to Kazakhstan for work. He was already playing darts in the USA before he moved and started playing darts on Saturdays at KIMEP University. Anyone willing to pay the fee was welcome, so not just students. In 1995, Strafford organized his own mini league together with other expats. Over the years new pubs opened and a few of them installed dart boards (but most of them did not have darts to throw with, so Strafford sometimes left his old darts at pubs for other people to play). Mad Murphys which opened in 1998 had two boards and again there were some mini leagues with a mixture of locals and expats. Strafford: ‘Some very good darts players from the Kazakhstan Darts Team would play and there were some competitions organized at different venues. The ladies champion of Kazakhstan played a lot of tournaments and really tried to push the sports. But the sports in Kazakhstan that actually got pushed by the government are tennis and golf. There is a lot of interest in Martial Arts as well.’ In Kazakhstan, the National Darts Federation is part of the Archery Federation and they’re not planning to invest in darts anytime soon. Yelzhan Maulenov, the main organizer of the Shakespear Cup in Almaty, confirms this: ‘We contacted them multiple times, but we stopped our attempts. They’re not dealing with darts currently’.
Picture: Shakespeare Pub
Maulenov, together with a group of other darts enthousiasts, didn’t give up and went to the Shakespeare Pub to ask if it was okay to hold a couple of tournaments at the pub. With their own time and money, they gave it a try and now there have been two succesful editions of the tournament, which also holds a ranking. During the second tournament, not only expats and locals played, but also players from other parts of Kazahkstan like Astana (the current capital). Even two players from Uzbekistan joined the tournament and ended up runner up at the pairs competition and winning the Main Tournament and the Women’s Tournament. ‘Actually we were hoping for some players from Mongolia to come to the 3rd tournament, but they will play at the Nippon Darts Festival which is held on the same days. So maybe next time.’
Picture: The Shakespeare Darts Cup, players in action
Will it be possible for Kazakhstan to get darts to the next level? The Shakespeare Cup is becoming more and more international and is an Open Tournament as well. Everyone can participate in it. Strafford says: ‘This group of organizers and players are mainly younger people. If they keep this up, I can see them getting darts to the next level in a couple of years.’ Maulenov would be interested in working towards joining the WDF in the future, but this could be very hard due to the national federation and the government not showing any interest in darts at all.
So a lot has happened to darts in Kazakhstan over the past 35 years, sometimes being more popular than other times. But now it seems that darts in Kazakhstan is on the rise again, with the first player on the Asian Tour playing for the country and the hard work of the Shakespeare Darts Club.
The third Shakespeare Tournament will be held on 17-18th August 2024. For anyone wishing to join, the location is: The Shakespeare Pub at Almaty, Dostyk Ave., 40 . Participation fee is 5000 tenge.
Recaps from the previous two tournaments can be found here on YouTube.
Special thanks for this article goes out to Nitin Kumar, Violetta Chsherbakova, Yelzhan Maulenov and John Strafford for getting me in touch with the right people, their time and dedication to answer questions as well as sending all the information on the Shakespear Cup, pictures, etc. It wouldn’t have been possible without all of you!
Hello readers, welcome to another interview on asiandarts.sport.blog, this time with Rohit Rabadia. Playing for India but being born in England, Rabadia tries to make a positive impact in the world of darts, inspire future players and stimulate darts in India.
My name is Rohit “Rugrat” Rabadia, and I am 44 years old. I was born and raised in NW London, England. Currently, I have businesses in the UK and Dubai. I specialise in home drafting systems in the UK and in Dubai I am the cofounder of www.wassupdubai.ae. I enjoy sports and travelling, and I’m always excited to learn new things and meet new people.
His nickname ”Rugrat” was given to him a long time ago by his friends: “My nickname “The Rugrat” actually started as a joke among my friends when I first started playing darts, I had shaved my hair making me bald which reminded them of a character called Tommy in the Rugrats cartoon. One of my friends started calling me “Rugrat” as a playful nod to my look and energy, and the name just stuck. Now, it’s a fun reminder of those early days and how far I’ve come in the sport.”
Rabadia started playing darts at the age of 15 when he asked for his first dartboard on his birthday. ”I never missed watching darts on TV as I was a HUGE fan of the Late Eric Bristow. When I lived in London I played in 2 local leagues twice a week and started playing on the BDO circuit on weekends in the UK and Europe. I relocated to the North in 2012 and began my journey on the PDC circuit. I try to get a couple of hours practise in everyday in my darts den, my son now 14 is my practice partner.”
Even though Rabadia was born in England, he decided to play for India for a few reasons. Not only because his family’s roots is in India, but also because of the culture and having a wonderful connection to the country. He also wants to grab this opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of the sport in India, where darts is still gaining popularity. Rabadia: ”Representing India allows me to honor my heritage and make a meaningful impact. The PDC changed the ruling two years ago which opened the doors and allowed me to take this route.”
This year, Rabadia has taken things a step further and plays all of the PDC Asian Tours. So far, his effort resulted in qualifying for the PDC World Cup Asian Qualifier, where he played with Nitin Kumar. They played in the same group as winners Singapore and Malaysia, but nevertheless it has been a great experience so far for Rabadia: ”Playing on the PDC Asian Tour this year has been an incredible experience. The competition is fierce, and it’s been exciting to test my skills against some of the best players in the region. Qualifying for the World Cup with Nitin Kumar was definitely a highlight and a testament to the hard work we’ve both put in.
However, keeping up with all the travelling can be challenging and it requires a lot of careful planning and support from my family to balance my professional commitments with my personal life. I’m grateful for their understanding and encouragement, which makes it all possible. Despite the challenges, the opportunity to represent and compete at such a high level makes all the effort worthwhile as well as the people I have met along the way who now feel like a family as they have been so helpful and welcoming.”
Qualifying for the PDC World Cup Qualifiers with Nitin Kumar has been the absolute highlight for Rabadia so far in his darts career. ”It was an incredible achievement, especially considering the level of competition on the PDC Asian Tour. Standing on that stage, representing India, and competing at such a prestigious event was a dream come true. I will cherish that moment as it motivates me to drive forward and achieve more.”
Looking forward to what lies ahead, Rabadia describes his plans and goals as following:
”For the next year, my primary goals are to continue improving my game and to consistently perform well on the PDC Asian Tour. Specifically, I aim to qualify for more major tournaments, including another shot at the World Cup and play in the Asian Championships. I also want to focus on refining my skills and increasing my practice schedule to enhance my consistency under pressure.
Long-term, I aspire to establish myself as one of the top players in the region and eventually compete at the highest levels, such as the PDC World Championship. Additionally, I hope to inspire more people in India to take up darts and contribute to the growth of the sport in the country. My sponsors Cuesoul Darts have made my new custom darts, which has aided my game and I believe I have my perfect darts which will help me achieve my goals. My custom equipment is available on www.cuesoul.com ”
Like most players, Rabadia also has two players who inspired him on his journey in the world of darts: Stephen Bunting and Michael van Gerwen. ”I am inspired firstly by Stephen Buntings remarkable journey and his exemplary character both on and off the stage and Michael van Gerwen’s exceptional dedication and skill in the sport.
Stephens perseverance and dedication is also motivating. He has consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and a commitment to improving his game. His transition from the BDO to the PDC was challenging, yet he managed to excel, showing that adaptability and resilience are key to overcoming obstacles.
Michael started playing darts at a young age and worked tirelessly to improve, which is inspiring as it shows with dedication and hard work, it’s possible to achieve excellence.
Stephen and Michaels humility and sportsmanship in respect of their opponents, how they handle both victories and defeats with grace, maintain a positive attitude and show respect to their competitors is admirable.
I am inspired to balance my darts career with my personal life like Stephen has achieved through his dedication to his family and his efforts to inspire and support others in the darts community highlighting his generous spirit and leadership qualities and I am inspired to develop a mindset like Michael’s mental toughness during matches in order to stay calm under pressure.
As Rabadia hopes to inspire more people to take up darts, he has a final message to the readers:
Dream, Believe & Achieve! Never give up and always stay committed. I extend my gratitude for your interest and support. Whether you’re a fellow darts enthusiast, a fan of the sport, or simply curious about my journey, your encouragement means a lot to me and I thank you.
Special thanks to my sponsors:
Cuesoul darts
Spice & Spirits sports bar
NSCmedia
For their continued support and belief in me.
Rohit Rabadia has his own website as well, which will launch soon. The website will feature updates on his tournaments, a blog about his journey in darts, and a section where you can connect with Rohit. Stay tuned for the official launch date and be sure to check it out! http://www.rohitrabadia.com/
Note to readers: If you’re interested in darts in India, I’d highly recommend to read my article about Mahi Bosmia and Indian darts, as well as watch the interview I did together with Dartfreakz.
As the PDC Asian Tour is getting bigger every year, not only more and more people are following the tour closely, but also players from even more nations decide to give one or more of the weekends a shot. This year, we’ve seen players from countries like Kazakhstan, Palestine, Oman and Jordan. During the 8th tournament this year, held in the Philippines, we saw Bruneian talent ‘Abdul Qahar Ukail Hj Shamsul Ariffin or short: Abdul Qahar Ukail’ step up and make it to the semifinals. Brunei, not very well known as a darts country, was put on the map, people actually calling for the Bruneian team to make it to the 2024 PDC World Cup. That didn’t happen, but I’m very happy to have spoken with the young talent from Brunei about his darts journey, his ambitions and goals and his experience during some of the recent tournaments he’s played.
Abdul Qahar Ukail, who is 27 years old and from Bukit Beruang in the Tutong district in Brunei Darussalam is self-employed and spends most of his time training darts at home and joining the local tournament events every week. In a country without a night life and with a small population, Ukail explains how he started out playing darts: ‘’I’ve started playing casually since 2012 with my friends around the neighborhood. At first, I didn’t own any sets of darts and dartboard. Then one day, I joined a tournament in my neighborhood and I won the whole thing by using a house dart that’s provided. As the winner they gave me a set of dart. Since then, I started to play casually by joining local events and small tournaments. I started to love the games eventually.’’
As said in the introduction, Brunei is not exactly known as a darts country and not everyone might have heard of it after all. Brunei is a very small country near Indonesia and Malaysia. Ukail: ‘’Brunei Darussalam is a very peaceful Muslim country that many people in the world are not aware of. Brunei is a very safe country to live in. Schools and hospitals are almost free here for the Bruneians and we live tax free as a Bruneian. If you love nature, Brunei has the best to offer.’’
How does playing darts in Brunei go? Ukail explains: ‘’We don’t have the night life here in Brunei such as clubs, pubs or any forms of night entertainment. Since there is no nightlife in Brunei, I grab the opportunity to spend my time perfecting my darts by training daily at night. I usually train by myself at home, sometime looking for somebody to spar either at my place or at their house. There is a weekly event in Brunei, sometimes it’s a single event sometimes it’s a double event. Nowadays there are a lot of strong dart players here in Brunei that need a lot of exposure.’’
Talking about the Asian Tour, Ukail just participated in Asian Tour 7-9 in the Philippines and made it to the semifinals in Tour 8. He experienced the tour as follows:
‘’Asian Tour is a whole experience for me because before that I only joined the big tournaments in the Malaysian darts scene, I also knew most of the strong dart players came from the Philippines, that’s why I want to challenged myself and start my Asian tour in Manila, Philippines. I didn’t expect to reach the semifinal stage on tour 8, for me it was like a stepping stone to reach another stage in my career.
In the last 32 I was paired with Robbie Wong from Malaysia; it was an intense match where he lead 3-0 but I managed to compose myself and making a comeback with hitting a 148 finish at the deciding leg.
In the semifinal match I got paired with Tomoya Goto from Japan. He’s a very strong player! I can compete in terms of scoring, but his finishing is very strong. Sadly, I lost to him 5-0. Nevertheless, the whole experience thought me that nothing is impossible if you put your heart and soul into it.’’
Another recent tournament Ukail has played, is the Winmau Sabah Masters in Malaysia, a steel tip tournament played on FIDO boards, where Ukail claimed the singles and team title and was semi finalist in the doubles event. You can watch the singles final below the interview. After that, Ukail also played the PDC Asian Tour 10-12 in Malaysia, making the T64 in all three tournaments.
As to the question if Ukail has plans to play more tournaments overseas and as what his aspirations are for the next year, he said: ‘’I would love to enter more of PDC Tournaments either in Asia or EU. My main target currently is either the Asian Stage / Championship or god’s willing to Biggest of all PDC World Championship next year. I would also like to compete for a spot for the PDC World Cup of Darts next year.”
He describes the highlights in his darts career as following:
This year alone:
Champion 3some events, in Kuching,Sarawak.
Champion Marzuq international double open 2024 in Miri, Sarawak.
Champion Sabah Open 2024.
Semi Finalist Asian Tour 8.
Winmau Sabah Masters 2024 winning the single open category and team event. And semi Finalist in Double event
His inspiration in darts is local player Pengiran Mohamed. Darts fans may know him for being the first Bruneian darts player to participate in a World Championship, as he qualified for the 2018 BDO World Championship.
‘’He’s been playing for 20+ years and still playing at his best performances and he is considered as my mentor in darts. Another inspiration is Dutch player Michael Van Gerwen, because of his aggressive playstyle and his dominance in darts world.’’
As a final message to the readers, Abdul Qahar Ukail says:
‘’I would like to thank my family especially my mom, dad, family and friends for supporting me all the way. I would also like thank asiandarts.sport.blog for giving me this opportunity to tell more about Asian darts scene and especially for Bruneian darts scene.’’
I’d really like to thank Qahar for his time and effort he put into answering my questions for AsianDarts and wish him the best of luck on his darts journey and achieving his goals.
Picture credits: PDC Asia, Abdul Qahar Ukail (FB).
Darts in the Philippines is really popular at the moment. Last years PDC World Championship saw 4 Filipino players participating and this year’s Asian Tour has been a good year for the Philippines as well. At the 18th ADA International Tour in Hong Kong, the Filipino players took most of the prizes home. Remarkable are the good results among the ladies players: The Philippines currently have multiple players who really perform consistently. Giselle Bulahao is one of them, swooping up three prizes at the 18th ADA as well as booking herself a place at the 2023 WDF World Masters during last year’s MOJO.
Bulahao, from Tuba, Benguet, used to be a professional teacher and started out playing darts when her uncle and cousins convinced her to play with them in one of the dart leagues in Benguet. The most popular type of darts in the Philippines is actually steel tip, so that’s where she started out her journey in darts. After winning many tournaments inside the Philippines, Bulahao took her chance and played the MOJO tournaments (Malaysian Open and Johor Open) in 2023. Bulahao: ”MOJO in Malaysia was my very first international tournament outside of the Philippines. It was also my first time to play against players of different nationalities. I’m just happy because I was able to give them good matches that led me to winning both MO and JO singles.”
Her Malaysian Open win secured her a spot at the WDF World Masters. The WDF states on their website that ‘the 2024 edition of the World Masters will be held in Europe and will take place from Wednesday, October 9th through Sunday, October 13th. Further information on the host city, venue, prize fund, and how to enter will be released on or before Friday 31 May’. Bulahao would love to represent her country at that tournament: ”Darts is my passion. I quit teaching right after the pandemic to focus more on my darts career, so if given the chance to play again overseas, I would love to. The highlights in my darts career are probably my tournaments outside of the Philippines. I’m getting goosebumps everytime I represent my country.”
Besides steel tip, Bulahao tried soft tip for the first time at the ADA 18th International Darts Tour in Hong Kong, and succesfully: ”That was actually my first time to play soft tip, and luckily, I won in the 501 singles, doubles and triples. It was a good learning experience for me, especially so that I’m still new to the world of soft tip darts 😊” She won the doubles with that tournament’s MVP Janice Hinojales and the triples with Hinojales and Noel Malicdem.
Another title Bulahao was awarded with, is the Christ Sports Lady Darter of the Year award. She explains: ”The Chris Sports Lady Darter of the Year is one of the most prestigious awards given to a player here in the Philippines who has accumulated the highest points from January to December. It is being awarded every January of the following year. This started last year.”
She is an inspiration to many players in and outside of the Philippines. Giselle says: ”It’s fulfilling in my part knowing that there are those who see me as an inspiration. It’s every athlete’s joy to inspire others by the hardwork they put in. I feel inspired by those who always show support in my darts career- my family, my teammates, and sponsor.”
To wrap up the interview, she tells more about her plans and goals: ”This year my goal is to master the game of soft tip darts and to win more championships. God willing. ☝️
To all the readers, thank you so much for supporting darts.”
I’d really like to thank Giselle Bulahao for her time, the NDFP for all the oportunities they’re giving and creating for players in the Philippines as well as credit them for the above pictures.
Welcome to all readers from AsianDarts. Today, we have a special interview with a very inspirational player: Mahi Bosmia from India. The interview has been recorded by Wim Blokpoel from Dartfreakz and you can watch it below in the article. This article will be an addition to the interview with more facts about Mahi but also some points about darts in India, one of the things we talked about with Mahi and Piyush Bosmia off camera. We hope you enjoy reading about Mahi and we also hope to explain more about the situation of darts in India.
Mahi, 17 years old from Calcutta, India, started out darts when she was young. Her father, Piyush Bosmia, started out playing darts together with his wife in 2015 and Mahi accompanied them to tournaments which sparked an interest for darts with herself as well. Her father noticed this and started teaching Mahi darts as well as entering her into various youth tournaments. It turned out she is talented and after winning her first title, Mahi really found the joy of darts, eventually leading her to the Dutch Open in Assen. Mahi is still studying besides all this as well, studying at The Bhawanipur College in Calcutta. They also sponsor her for her international trips. Mahi states she is very much thankful to them as without such support it is impossible to participate in such events.
Financial support is really important in Indian darts. One of the things we spoke about off camera at the Dutch Open was about the AIDA. AIDA (All Indian Darts Association) is one of the darts organisations in India and the one who is affiliated to the WDF (World Darts Federation). If a player qualifies for a tournament (Mahi did for the WDF World Cup in Denmark), they have to pay AIDA a fee firstly, otherwise they’ll be thrown out of the selection.
Piyush adds that Mahi was asked to pay charges higher than what WDF were offering to all international players and upon asking the Indian authorities about detailed expenses to understand why it is higher than it should be, no reply on same was received from authorities but instead later we came to know that someone else was selected in her place without properly informing to us for same reason around 4 players including manager for the tour backed out understanding there in less clarity on why the extra funds were asked.
This is one of the reasons why the best players from India don’t get a lot of exposure and instead, players who hit 30-40 averages but have more money can go. Combine this with really expensive flights because VISAS don’t come in early enough, expensive hotel costs and the players having to pay pretty much everything out of their own pockets. The AIDA always preferred players not to play at other tournaments as well, sometimes even resulting in forbidding players to play other tournaments and banning them from the organisation. Piyush notes that a positive change happened over the last year in this matter: ‘Things from last one year has changed in AIDA for now as since last year they are allowing other players to play AIDA and also they are allowing their regular players to play other organisers events. All thanks to the efforts given by IDC to improve players standard and giving more opportunities to players.‘ This resulted in Mahi being able to play more tournaments in India and winning every tournament she entered for the last two years in both ladies and youth category.
Speaking to Nitin Kumar recently, we discovered that the same process is happening to players who want to play PDC Qualifiers and now, the top players have started their own organisation. The IDC, the Indian Darts Council, is now the place where the best players of India play at. Kumar: ‘The IDC hold close to 30to40 tournaments a year. This includes Nationals, State Championships, Inter-Club events and a Premier League kind of tournament. But sadly, the IDC is not affiliated with either the WDF or the PDC, making it hard for top players to participate in big tournaments.’
India is a growing darts country with many good players, but the IDC and their players do not have as many opportunities as they would like internationally. We hope our readers will start following the IDC tournaments closely on Facebook or YouTube where matches get posted every now and then.
Mahi is only 17 years old but winning big time in India at the tournaments she enters. Last year, she decided to take steps to play more tournaments internationally and there took second place at the MOJO (Malaysian Open / Johor Open) in Malaysia. In the interview below she talks more about her experiences at that tournament. Mahi plans to play the PDC Women’s Series in the future as well, taking on the best ladies in the world. She had a glimpse of that during the 2024 Dutch Open Darts, where she played and beat the likes of Jo Rolls and Sharona Veld, making the Last 16 alongside names like Beau Greaves, Aileen de Graaf, Noa-Lynn van Leuven and Kirsty Hutchinson. After an outstanding performance in the ladies singles, more and more people started talking about her and knowing who she is. Mahi eventually lost out 4-1 to Rhian O’Sullivan. We also spoke to Mahi after that, saying that more and more people know who she is now and making the Last 16 for the first time at such a big tournament and also at the age of 17 is an amazing accomplishment. Mahi: ‘Thank you so much, this was my goal; to let people know who I am, give a good performance and especially playing for India. I want to show people that there are good players in India, so I’m proud to play for my country.’
Even though Mahi is very talented, it’s not always easy for her to come to international tournaments because of the above. Still, she’s a positive young lady who really wants to show what she is capable of, hoping to play the PDC Women’s Series and find her way to the biggest tournaments in the world.
It was so nice to meet someone who is so proud of her country and we hope Mahi will get all the chances she deserves in the future. And of course, we’ll keep on following Mahi through her darts journey.
Hello everyone! Today I’m happy to announce this interview with one of Japan’s best players currently: Jun Matsuda. Currently in the top 4 of the PDC Asian Tour Order of Merit and on a World Championship spot, Jun was so kind to answer my questions about darts, the PDC, WDF and future plans.
I hope you all enjoy reading this interview.
(The interview below is in both Japanese and English. There might be some spelling errors here and there, because I wrote the questions in Dutch and translated with a combination of my own knowledge of the Japanese language and the help of a translator.)
What was the reason you started playing darts, and when was it?
The reason I started playing darts was because I had been playing billiards since I was around 17 years old, and soft dart machines were introduced there.
In billiards, there are times when you have to wait a while for your turn, but with darts, the turns always come in order, so I thought it was fair (laughs).
仕事は何をしていて、ダーツ以外の趣味は何ですか？
仕事は元々はリサイクルショップを個人で営んでおりました。
が…今はダーツが専業になってます。
趣味はアウトドアですね。
北海道は冬が非常に寒いのでキャンプに最適です♪
What do you do for work, and what are your other hobbies besides darts?
I used to run a recycling shop on my own. But… now darts has become my main occupation.
My hobby is outdoor activities. Hokkaido is very cold in winter, so it’s perfect for camping♪
In 2019, you participated in the Phoenix Perfect Tour for the first time. You won immediately and soon after got sponsored by L-Style and DYNASTY. Can you tell me why you decided to participate and about your experiences afterward?
The reason I decided to join the “PERFECT” pro organization of PHOENIX DARTS had several factors.
First, I ranked first in the “light League” of the 2019 Steel League, and as a reward, I was invited to ADA Hong Kong. I think that was the inspiration♪ Seeing such strong players in Asia made me think that if there are players this strong, it would be even more interesting to become a pro (laughs). Another reason was my desire to promote darts in Hokkaido. I wanted to prove that I could compete even from Hokkaido. So far, it seems to be working well (laughs). Sponsors like “Lstyle” and “DYNASTY” have been really good to me. This year, I’m also grateful for the sponsorship from “PHOENIX DARTS.”
In 2022, you participated in the WDF Winmau World Masters and Open in the Netherlands. How was that experience? Also, how do WDF and PDC tournaments differ in your eyes?
The WDF Masters was enjoyable. Different throwing styles, rhythms, and a high level of play! It was a very meaningful tournament where I received many challenges for the future. PDC tournaments feature opponents who are all star players, making them the pinnacle of the world, in my opinion.
You’ve also represented your country twice in the PDC World Cup. How do you feel about playing as a representative of your country? Who would you like to play darts with in the PDC World Cup of Darts?
The PDC World Cup is also a lot of fun♪ I want to fully enjoy playing as a representative of Japan and ensure that everyone who supports me also has fun… That’s what I’m thinking♪ There are many countries I’d like to play against. In recent years, I’d love to play against Wales, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
In a few weeks, the final Asian Tour event will take place in China. You’re currently in 4th place. If you maintain your position, you’ll qualify for the PDC World Championship. How are you preparing for the last Asian Tour event? Are you extra nervous?
Finally, the last Asian Tour event in China♪ I’m adjusting as usual and aiming to have fun playing darts♪ I’m not feeling any special nervousness at the moment. I’m just focused on giving my best in my darts.
2024年におけるダーツに関する計画は何ですか？
これは今非常に考えている所です。
更なる挑戦を視野に入れ、
今後の状況を踏まえて決めて行きたいと思っております。
What are your plans for darts in 2024?
I’m currently thinking about this a lot. I’m considering further challenges and will decide based on the situation ahead.
いつかPDC Qスクールに参加して、ツアーカードを獲得しようと考えていますか？
もちろんQスクールの事は常に考えております。
戦ってみたいですね😊
Are you thinking about participating in the PDC Q School to earn a tour card?
Of course, I’m always thinking about Q School. I’d like to give it a try 😊
Apart from the World Championship Darts in London, which other tournament would you like to participate in?
This is a tough question… Probably another PDC tour event… The Senior Tour seems interesting too♪
ダーツでのあなたのインスピレーションは誰ですか？なぜその人がインスピレーションとなっていますか？
やはりダーツを始めた時に感じたフィル・テイラー氏でしょうか…
プロのダーツプレイヤーの全てがそこにあると思っております😊
Who inspires you in darts? Why are they an inspiration to you?
It would still be Phil Taylor, whom I felt inspired by when I first started playing darts… I believe all professional dart players have something special😊
Thank you for reading. I’m just a player from Japan, but I’m looking forward to the day I can meet all the world’s dart players. Please continue to support me along with my sponsors, “DYNASTY,” “Lstyle,” and “PHOENIX DARTS.” 🙇♂️
It’s been yet another while, but today I’m happy to announce a small interview with South Korean darts player ‘Jaein Oh’, who participates in most of the PDC Asian Tours, the WDF World Masters and Open and soon the PDC World Youth Championship. At those tournaments, he played the likes of Paul Lim, Jelle Klaasen, Xiaochen Zong and Mathew Lee. I’ve known Jaein for a while now, so time to ask him some questions about his career in darts and what drives him to play all of these international tournaments (which obviously cost a lot). Please enjoy!
Jaein Oh at the WDF Winmau World Masters in 2022 in Assen, The Netherlands
Can you write an introduction about yourself?
Hi I’m Jaein Oh from South Korea. I’m 24 years old. I live in Seongnam city. My name pronunciation is same to Jane, but I am a boy : )
How and when did you start playing darts?
When I was 19. I worked at beer pub. There was a soft tip darts machine, so I first experienced it.
Can you tell something more about the darts scene in South Korea?
There are two soft tip darts leagues in Korea: 1. Dartslive Korea Stage 2. Phoenixdarts Perfect Korea Unfortunately, Steel tip darts competitions are very few. Korea can do Soft tip darts, but Steel tip darts is hard to experience. When I practice Soft tip darts, I go to the Bar or Beer pub, The place where I go to practice is Magnum bar or Wero pub. These are located in Moran, Seongnam. When I practice steel tip darts, I usually practice at home using Nakka. Sometime I go to Wero pub because the owner hangs a steel tip darts board on the wall in the store for me.
Steel tip darts is obviously less popular than soft tip darts in South Korea. Why do you think is that?
Soft tip darts game can make money. When play the 501 games, we have to pay 1,000 won (0,61 pounds/0,71 euros) per leg. That’s it. And a lot of owners are concerned about the safety of Steel tip darts. So that’s why many people can’t experience about steel tip darts.
You play a lot of international tournaments (PDC Asian Tour, WDF Winmau Masters and Open, PDC World Youth Championship). What motivates you to travel all the way to play those tournaments?
My dream is to participate at the PDC World Championship. So I think I need more experience. It takes a lot of money to participate in international competitions, but I think I am investing for my dream
And can you tell something about your best experience at an international darts tournament? What moment or match has been memorable to you?
I remember a lot of matches. I have to choose the 2022 Winmau World Masters. Because I felt the wall from the world class players. That is make me more practice. (Jeain participated in the World Masters and Open where he played Jelle Klaasen).
You’re still young, how do you balance darts with work or studies?
My job in Korea is a traditionally rice cake baker. I have to get up very early. On Monday to Thursday, I work from 2am to 8pm. So I don’t have much sleeping time. I try to practice every day. I can sleep for 5 hours, but I use one hour to practice. I practice most of the time even on my day off.
Which darts player (or players) is or are your inspiration, and why?
Hyunchul Park. Because I think he is an all time legend in Korea. I’m a really big fan of him. He went to Japan for play darts, won the Japan Soft tip darts tournaments, and has a very good career in The World Softip darts tournaments and PDC Asian Tour.
What are your goals and aspirations for your darting career in the coming years?
Maybe not next month. Maybe not next year. But I promise. I will be World Champion
You also play the DARTSLIVE soft tip tournaments in South Korea. Can you tell something about those tournaments and your experience?
I only participated in one stage and I need to play more games, but I know there are many good players in Korea playing these tournaments.
Do you have a final message for the readers?
Hi I’m Jaein Oh. Thank you for reading the interview and if you want to know more about me follow my Instagram (jaeinohkr). Thank you!
Shocking news has arrived at the darts community as Momo Zhou has passed away at the age of 31 years old. She was without doubt one of the best Chinese players, the best Chinese ladies player and one of the best Asian ladies.
In 2015, Momo joined Trinidad, a Japanese dartsbrand where she stayed under contract for more than 6 years. At the start of 2022 she joined TARGET (Japan) and in 2020 she signed with clothing brand SHADE. Just before the corona pandemic she joined the Japanese PERFECT tour (softtip) where she played some of the best ladies from Japan. She didn’t play there without winning, check this video to see Momo play a fantastic match against Kasumi Sato and winning that day’s PERFECT Tour.
In 2018, Momo Zhou was only the second lady, and the first Asian lady to play during the PDC World Cup. She played there with Xiaochen Zong, the best Chinese player. She went viral for celebrating missed doubles from the opponents team.
Last year, Momo went viral again because she hit a 10-darter in the Chinese Premier League. This 10-darter had one bounce out, so the leg was near perfect. After that, she got an operation on her arm, after which she hoped to return to play darts with everyone.
PDC China Series A Leagueにおいてシュウ・モモ選手が10ダーツを達成しました✨ 第1ラウンドの2投目バウンスアウトとなるもその後完璧にまとめ120-180-177-24で勝利。すごいです😭✨
— TARGET SPORTS JAPAN (@TargetDartsJP) June 22, 2022
Momo was loved by many, and had a big fanbase especially in the Japanese darts community. Her new TARGET darts were announced just one day before her passing and released only two days ago.
I really hope her darts will get an international release as a tribute to her, but they’ll probably be a Japan-only product.
Momo Zhou will be heavily missed by many. She passed away on January 25th 2023, only 31 years young. Rest in peace dear Momo.
Closing this article with a lovely video from Momo doing the three-bull-challenge during the pandemic
AsianDarts 