Interview

Interview with Rohit Rabadia on his darts journey, playing for India and the PDC Asian Tour

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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.

Pictures by: PDC Asia, Rohit Rabadia

Abdul Qahar Ukail about darts in Brunei and the PDC Asian Tour

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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).

🇵🇭Lady Darter of the Year Giselle Bulahao about her journey in darts

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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.

Interview with Mahi Bosmia, India’s top ladies player, at the Dutch Open Darts

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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.

Interview with Jun Matsuda: I’m focused on giving my best in my darts

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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.)


ダーツを始めたきっかけは何で、いつでしたか？

ダーツを始めたきっかけは

元々ビリヤードを17歳位からやっておりまして、そこにソフトダーツのマシンが導入された事が始まりです。

ビリヤードでは暫く順番が来ない事があるのですが、ダーツは必ず順番が来るのでフェアだと思いましたね(笑)

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♪

2019年にはじめてフェニックスのパーフェクトツアーに参加しましたね。すぐに優勝し、その後すぐにL-StyleとDYNASTYのスポンサーを得ましたね。なぜ参加することにしたのか、そしてその後の経験について教えてください。

PHOENIX DARTSのプロ団体

「PERFECT」に参戦するキッカケになった理由はいくつかあります。

先ずは2019年のスティールリーグ

「light League」での年間ランキングで1位になり、そのご褒美にADA香港に招待して頂きました。

その時の刺激でしょうか♪

アジアでもこんなにも強い人が居る

ならプロなら更に面白そうと思い始めたのです(笑)

もう1つは北海道のダーツを盛り上げたいという思いがありました。

その為に北海道からでも戦える事を証明したかったのです。

今の所上手くいってるかと(笑)

スポンサー様である「Lstyle」様

「DYNASTY」様には本当に良くして頂いております。

今年は「PHOENIX DARTS」様にもスポンサードをして頂き感謝しかありません。

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.”

2022年にはオランダのWDFウィンマウワールドマスターズとオープンに参加しましたね。その経験はどうでしたか？また、WDFのトーナメントとPDCのトーナメントはあなたの目にはどのように異なりますか？

WDFマスターズは楽しかったですね。

投げ方、リズムが十人十色でレベルが高い！

今後の課題を沢山貰った非常に有意義なトーナメントでした。

PDCのトーナメントは対戦相手が

全員スター選手でやはり世界の最高峰のトーナメントと思っております。

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.

また、2度PDCワールドカップに出場していますね。国を代表する形でプレーすることについてどう感じていますか？PDCワールドカップ・オブ・ダーツで誰と一緒にダーツをしたいですか？

PDCワールドカップも楽しいですねぇ♪

日本を代表する選手として思いきり楽しみ、そして応援して頂いてる皆さんも楽しんで貰える様に……

と思っております♪

対戦したい国は沢山あります。

近年ではウェールズ、スコットランド、オランダ、ベルギーは是非対戦してみたいですね。

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.

数週間後には中国で最後のアジアンツアーがありますね。現在、あなたは4位に位置しています。そのままでいれば、PDCワールドチャンピオンシップに参加できますね。最後のアジアンツアーに向けてどのように準備していますか？特別に緊張していますか？

とうとうアジアツアー最終戦の中国ですね♪

いつもと変わらずに調整して

楽しいダーツをしたいと思っております♪

特別な緊張は今ところありません。

自分のダーツに徹する事のみ考えております。

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 😊

ロンドンのWorld Championshipダーツ以外で、どのトーナメントにまた参加したいですか？

これは難しいですね……

もちろんPDCツアーでしょうか……

PDCシニアツアーも面白そうですね♪

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😊

に、読者の皆さんへのメッセージはありますか？

ご覧頂きありがとうございます。

しがない日本の1プレイヤーですが、世界のダーツプレイヤー、皆様とお会いできる日を楽しみにしております。

スポンサーである

「DYNASTY」

「Lstyle」

「PHOENIXDARTS」

と共に応援よろしくお願い致します🙇‍♂️

Do you have a message for your readers?

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.” 🙇‍♂️

Interview with Jaein Oh: ‘I am investing for my dream’

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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!

🇭🇰 Interview with Tamrin Ng: Play darts, win hearts

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Welcome to another new interview on AsianDarts, this time with one of the best and most popular ladies player in Hong Kong, who also has played for the Australian soft tip team before: Tamrin Ng. Tamrin tells about how she started out playing darts, her journey with One80 as well as discovering the world of steeltip darts. Enjoy!

Tamrin winning her first steeltip tournament


My name is Tamrin, currently based in Hong Kong and I’ve been playing darts since 2016.


How and when did you get into darts?


I started playing darts back in 2016 when I was still in uni. I met a darts bar manger at a local Chinese New Year event, he introduced me to his darts bar and that was how I met a lot more people who were really into darts and then I became one of the regulars.

You mostly play soft tip darts. What do you like the most about softtip darts?


I started off playing soft tips darts when I had very minimal knowledge about this sport. The best thing about soft darts for a newbie is that it has different lighting segments where it guides new players on where to throw and it suggests how to close when playing 01. Whereas the best part to me right now is that I can connect with people around the world. Using DARTSLIVE as an example, it has a Global game function where the machine connects to the internet and we can search for other online players in different countries and have an online battle with them. On the other hand, I have my own signature DARTSLIVE Support Player theme, which I can share my theme to people instantly by just playing a game with other players and this is how we make friends without any boundaries.

After a couple of years, THE WORLD started again and returned to Singapore. You were there. How was it to return to THE WORLD after a couple of years?


It was a long missed tournament and it didn’t let people down! I was soooo thrilled and excited to see so many familiar faces after such a long time.


One80 is your main sponsor. How did they help you in your journey as a professional dartplayer?


This is my fourth year with ONE80. They have been extremely supportive ever since the beginning. They would never hesitate when I had different kinds of request and when I needed assistance overseas during tournaments and events. Furthermore, One80 has bought me into even a bigger stage, I was honoured to represent ONE80 to participate in darts tournaments called Super Brand where all the players from different darts brands gathered around to compete. It was a great way to introduce myself to more people and meet all sorts of players from other countries.



You recently won the 16th ADA International Darts Tour in steeltip. Can you tell more about the tournament and your road to winning a steeltip tournament?

It was such a magical moment. That was my first steel tip tournament that I’ve joined. I was always very slow at working out the finishes, that’s why I was never very comfortable and confident in playing steel tip competition. Therefore, I had a thought to myself to go back to basics during the games, basically was to try to keep my focus at the 20 segments and then try to lower the score to around 80s where I feel more confident in finishing. And somehow it worked all the way to the championship.

Would you like to play more steeltip darts in the future?


Yes certainly! I have joined Hong Kong Local Steel tip League and I will be participating in more international steel tip competitions too!

You have lived in Australia for a while and represented the australian team. Can you tell us more about that journey and your time there?


It was a funny experience to be part of the Australia National Team. I started off playing darts at a local darts bar called iDarts Hive. They have only DARTSLIVE machines. Electronic darts was not very popular back in the days, yet we had a group of darters who were very active in darts. In one of the uni trimester breaks, my darts buddies invited me to join them to participate in an international darts tournament. It was the DARTSLIVE Open Singapore Stage with Super League World Championship. We were then also chosen to be in the National Team, playing against world class top players of other countries while it was our very first time participating in an international tournament.



What was your favorite match ever you’ve played?

Tamrin and the Australian National Team


My first time playing on stage in The World Japan Stage. The live atmosphere was phenomenal, where it had hundreds of audience sitting in the venue watching the games. Every darts were breathtaking and of course I was very nervous and enjoyed every bit of it.

What are your goals for 2023?


Since the pandemic restrictions has been eased, I wish to travel to more places for competitions. There are so many tournaments that I would love to participate, for example PDC Asian Tour and DARTSLIVE Opens.

Who is your inspiration in darts and why?


Momo Zhou. She was the first Asian lady to be on the PDC World Cup Stage. I met her back in 2018 and she had a spectacular improvement and had many great achievements after that year. Her perseverance and determination are a great inspiration to me.

Do you have a final message for our readers?


Play darts, win hearts! Don’t forget to set goals and believe in yourself. I believe one day we will all achieve it. And I hope that I can meet the readers someday in the future!

📷 Tamrin Ng (FB)

Interview with Mehdi Pahnavar: From climbing to paradarts

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At the 2023 Dutch Open Darts, AsianDarts also talked to Mehdi Pahnavar. Mehdi lives in Germany and is also a well-known climber. He played in the Iranian national team and in 2014, he travelled to the French Alps for an ice-climbing competition where he fell down 6 meters. He didn’t had money for an operation in France, hence he stayed until the end of the tournament and went back to Teheran, where he got surgery. He can now hardly move his right foot, and participates in paradarts sports. Below you can read a short interview with Mehdi. Enjoy! .

Mehdi Pahnavar (middle) and the rest of the Iranian team at the 2023 Dutch Open Darts.

Q: Good afternoon. Who are you and how did you start playing darts?

A: I’m playing darts since 20 years, but not that much, I’m just practicing.

Q: Why are you at the Dutch Open?

A: I’m at the Dutch Open to participate at the paradarts tournament, since I can only move my right foot a little bit. I live in Germany, so it’s easier for me to travel to the Netherlands. I’m a paraclimber in Germany but I also have a good feeling to play paradarts.

Q: Which tournament would you like to play next?

A: I want to play every paradarts tournament as long as I have time. I also have my work, which goes first. My plans are to at least play in Hungary and Sweden and I would love to play in England.

Q: Are there many opportunities to play paradarts in Iran?

A: No, not at all. We used to have paradarts in Iran, but currently there are not many opportunities.

Q: Do you also play competition in Germany?

A: No, I only play at home together with the family.

I’d like to thank Mehdi Pahnavar for his time and we hope to see him more often at tournaments!

Want to know more about darts in Iran? Read my interview with MohammedAli Pahnavar here.

🇮🇷 Iran at the Dutch Open Darts: MohammedAli Pahnavar talks about darts in his country

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Hello dear readers. AsianDarts is currently present at the Dutch Open Darts 2023 and there I had a chat with one of the Iranian players at this tournament. He also happens to manage players and teams in Iran. Let’s hear what MohammedAli Pahnavar has to say about darts in Iran:

Q: Good Afternoon. Who are you and when did you start playing darts?

A: I’m MohammedAli Pahnavar and I’ve started playing darst  11 years ago. My brother played darts and because of him I started playing as well.

Q: Why did you come to the Dutch Open this year?

A: Since a year I’m trying to play as many tournaments internationally as possible and at the Dutch Open there are a lot of players, so the standard is higher.

Q: You have also played in Belgium, the Antwerp Open. How did you experience that tournament?

A: The level was very good, but the level in the Netherlands is even better.

Q: Which tournament would you like to visit in the future?

A: I own a darts hall in Iran (Dart Club) and I want to bring as many players possible from that club to international tournaments. But Iranian players need a visum to play in Europe, which is hard to get. It helps when the WDF sends an invitation, the visa get approved sooner. I play darts, but I’m also the manager of the team.

Q: Are there many good players in Iran currently? Who?

A: At my dartclub, there is Ramin Naseri with the men’s players. For the ladies: Shahla Ravaji

Q: What is your goal for 2023? Both playing and in Iran.

A: I want to take more good players from Iran to here, but I also want to hold a big tournament in Iran. I would love to see a big Open taking place in Iran with a lot of players participating.

Q: Do you have other interesting things to tell about darts in Iran?

A: There are a lot of good dartsplayers in Iran, but because of visa problems it is really hard to get here. There is a lot of interest in darts in Iran and it would be great if more people can show their talent to the world. If the WDF sends an invitation, it’s a little bit easier for us to become a visum. The federations really have to help. In 2017 the girls won the pairs category in Japan, Kobe and in 2019 in Romania Mehrdad Seyfi got the second place in the WDF World Cup. I was the manager from that team but I wasn’t able to travel with them.

Q: Does he still play?

A: Yes he does, but he’s an adult now. He also does well on the national ranking.

I really want to thank MohammedAli Pahnavar for taking the time to talk to me! I wish him and all the players from Iran good luck with darts and I hope to see many more players being able to travel to international tournaments.

If you want to read more about darts in Iran, read my interview with Mehdi Pahnavar here.

🇻🇳 This is darts in Vietnam: Meet the players

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Hello dear readers, nice to see you back here on AsianDarts. When saying darts, Vietnam might not be the first country you’ll be thinking of. Doing a search on Google will make you find your way to the Saigon International Darts League (SIDL). The SIDL is a non-profit organization that promotes darts in Saigon (Ho Chi Minght City), Vietnam. Chairman of the SIDL is Shea Pellow. Shea was kind enough to send my questions to six Vietnamese players and take some pictures of most of them. Now you, our readers, have not only more information about darts in Vietnam, but also some names and faces of players who wish for Vietnam to grow bigger as a darts country, would like to challenge the PDC or play darts after work, just to relax.

For more information on the SIDL, please visit http://thesidl.com 

Nguyen Dai Nhan

My name is Nguyen Dai Nhan. I am 37 years old living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

I hope to have the chance to show the rest of Asia and the world that there are some good darts players in Vietnam. Right now we only have the Saigon International Darts League but if I get the chance to play internationally I will work hard to represent Vietnam. My darting goals for 2023 are to support my league team to try and win the Championship. I also aim to place in the top 5 for Highest out shot, as well as getting my first 15 dart leg.

We will need more places that  have dart boards for everyone to try to play, build a team/group, travel around the country and train. I mean it will be an academy of darts ;)) and the governments in Asia can agree the darts tour is the game in Seagame.

We enjoy darts in Vietnam as much as the rest of the world. Here it is about having fun with your team and playing a game you love.

Hoang Minh Nguyen

My name is Hoang Minh Nguyen; I’m 18 years old; I live in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam & I started playing darts in 2018. I do have aspirations to play the PDC Asian Tour in the future. Because I want to battle against stronger opponents to reach up to the top. My darting goals is to be one of, if not, the first Vietnamese player to play international events.

I think special events for promotion can be one of the most needed factors for Vietnam to grow as a dart country. I trust that the country will be able to produce the elite players of tomorrow.

My message for the readers of this interview is that anyone can play professional darts, no matter the age. And if you want to become the top-tier player, you gotta practice a lot & have all the dedication to the sport. Once you achieve your desire, you’ll appreciate every minute that you’ve spent throughout your journey.

Dam Vi Cuong

My name is Dam Vi Cuong, I’ve been playing darts since 2016 when a friend from Malaysia taught me how to play on the Phoenix Darts machine. I really want to play in the big tournaments in Asia, unfortunately I don’t have much time away from work to do so. I would like to compete with other players outside of Vietnam.

Not many Vietnamese people know about darts, We just play for fun after work. I hope we could have more dart tournaments in the future.

Let’s make darts more popular in Vietnam!

Khang Pham

I am Khang Pham, I am 25 years old. I have been playing darts since 2019 after I watched a PDC stream in one of the bars here in Ho Chi Minh City. I want to challenge myself in a big professional style tournament.

In 2023, I want my team to become League champions this year and maybe try an international tournament if I have the chance.

Let’s build a strong community for darts in Vietnam which will help encourage more Vietnamese players to join and also watch.

Hung

I’m Hung, I am 69 years old and I have been playing darts since 2016. Yes, I would like to play the Asian Tour. I enjoy watching the darts live streams and learning from the professionals. I think it would be a great experience to go out and play in a bigger style tournament.

In 2023, I want to keep playing darts with my friends this year. Darts is a relaxing game for me after a hard day at work.

Don’t think too much about winning or losing, that’s how you get better.

An Pham (Kevin)

I’m An Pham (Kevin) I am 38 and I have been playing darts since 2018. I joined the dart league in Saigon because there was a match and the home team needed a player or they would forfeit. I was asked to play even though I had never played darts before. I have played every week since then.

Of course I want to play the PDC Asian Tour. I am a big fan of the PDC and feel excited that one day I may have the chance to play in something like that. In 2023 I want my team to become number 1 in the Saigon Darts League. As well as me personally being in the top 10 players in the league.

What do you think is needed for Vietnam to grow as a darts country?

Make darts an official sport here with more regular tournaments.

If you get the chance to come to Vietnam, look up the Saigon International Darts League on Facebook maybe we play together one day. 

Pictures: Shea Pellow