Aspinall questions crowd at new Saudi tournament

Nathan Aspinall claims that the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters audience “wasn’t all there of their own accord.”

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has strict no-alcohol laws, hosts the first two-day event featuring world champion Luke Littler, compatriot Luke Humphries, and Dutchman Michael van Gerwen.

The Riyadh Global Theater, which has a capacity of 1, 000, is home to the World Series of Darts, which hosts the event.

Aspinall, 34, told the YouTube channel Darts Now that “there is definitely a long way to go” before Saudi Arabia and the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) can establish a long-term partnership.

“I’m not foolish,” I say. It was a fairly small venue, so I have to say that the crowd wasn’t all there of their own accord.

Everyone has to have a starting point, but as long as people leave the week and say, “We really enjoyed the darts,” it gets good coverage.

The PDC has been contacted by BBC Sport for comment.

The Saudi Arabian Men’s Football World Cup will be held in 2034 after hosting numerous significant sports events in recent years, including Formula 1 and golf. However, the regime’s record on environmental impact and human rights has drawn criticism.

It turned out much better than I had anticipated. Aspinall claimed that there were “a lot more people than I anticipated.”

The biggest prize pot in PDC history will also be available at this week’s event, which is $200, 000 (£149, 400).

For a nine-darter, players will deposit $100, 000 (£74, 700) in a bank account that can be doubled if they hit the bullseye with an additional dart.

In Tuesday’s quarter-finals, Aspinall will face Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung, who shocked Dutchman Danny Noppert by beating Dutchman Danny Noppert 6-3 in the first round.

The Englishman claimed to be laughing the entire game with Ilagan as the crowd “got to know the rules of the game,” especially when spectators clapped when players received two more darts in their hands after completing a treble 20.

Two-time world champion Paul Littler defeated Singaporean veteran Paul Lim 6-1, and Van Gerwen secured his spot in the last eight with a 6-1 victory over India’s Nitin Kumar. Humphries defeated Ryusei Azemoto 6-2.

Quarter-final of the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters

Stephen Bunting vs. Michael van Gerwen

Lok Lok Leung and Nathan Aspinall

Luke Littler vs. Gian van Veen