It’s a debate that tends to surface around this time every four years, as minds wander to gold medals and a fortnight of wall-to-wall sport on TV
Luke Humphries generated a few headlines recently when he said that yes, darts should be in the Olympics. “It’s the biggest sport in the world that isn’t involved,” he said
Cue the usual frantic keyboard-bashing in the comments section as darts players were dismissed as not being athletes, along with all the usual tired clichés about size and shape.
But the world champion and world number one had clearly thought about that, too, as he added: “I've seen many say, ‘You just throw darts at a board, it isn’t an Olympic sport', but then are archery or shooting Olympic sports? They don’t require athleticism, it is aiming for a target. We do the same.”
Having covered the 2012 Olympics pretty much in their entirety, I have seen the good, bad and the indifferent of what the two-week sports extravaganza has to offer.
Having sat through hours of archery at Lord’s cricket ground, I can guarantee it doesn’t have anything on darts when it comes to excitement or intrigue. Or athleticism. At least darts players walk to the board to retrieve their arrows.
When it comes to spectator appeal, shooting is another sport that cannot compete with darts. And that is before you even get into some of the frankly bizarre offerings of the Olympics. Yes, I’ve watched a session of synchronised swimming in person, and no, I have never met a single person who follows it, could describe what actually happens or name a single synchronised swimmer.
But let’s not punch down on other sports while simultaneously bemoaning those who punch down on darts. Let’s focus on the positives.
Part of the joy of the Olympics is finding a sport you never knew you liked, but which, upon discovering it, could easily sit and watch for hours.
For me in 2012 that was handball, which up close is a frantic and fast-paced sport that is very easy to follow and get into, while in other years as a television viewer, I have enjoyed all manner of sports I found through channel-hopping.
The nature of darts makes it perfect for this kind of discovery. The game is quick, simple, made for TV. No tactics or defensive play, just pure attack. Something is always happening. You haven’t won – and by definition therefore haven’t lost – until the winning dart is thrown.
Those who often pour scorn on darts’ credentials point to the perceived sacrilege or dumbing-down of the Olympics by moving away from the traditional sports. But how far back do you want to take it? In the first Games in 1896 in Athens, there were only nine sports compared with the 32 we have today, while only 14 nations and 241 athletes (all men) took part.
The Olympics is always changing. Breakdancing will make its debut this year, we’ve seen skateboarding and surfing introduced previously. The inclusion of tennis doesn’t please everyone and yet tennis was one of the original nine sports back in 1896, before later spending decades out of the Games.
Let’s be honest, it would be great fun watching darts at the Olympics, but it won’t be an easy journey for it to get there.
The lack of one overarching governing body would likely be a hindrance, as would the queue of other sports lining up for their shot at inclusion. The Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations has 42 members, with squad, netball, karate and others all jostling for their chance, alongside potentially less likely candidates such as tug-of-war.
And while alcohol is not on WADA’s banned substances list, there would inevitably be some pushback around its presence within the game.
But as Humphries said: “We’ve grown the sport massively now. It’s not the sport it was looked at 20-years ago. It has matured and cleaned it's act up and very professional now. So I’m not sure how we go about getting it in, but I really think it should be.”
Written by Steve Cotton
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