JAMES Wade says darts can go to a new global level with the continued success of the World Series of Darts.
Wade, who has been part of the Professional Darts Corporations tour since 2004 and playing professionally for 21 years, said he was amazed at just how far the game had grown.
The world No.5 will be part of the PDCs flagship roadshow event which will roll into Townsville on August 12 and 13 before heading south to Wollongong a week later.
Wade, who has won 10 TV titles in his stellar career, said the skys the limit for players starting out on their darting journey and said the World Series played a huge part in growing the game even more.
It’s very important for the game to grow, Wade said of the World Series.
Maybe not for me because I’ve been doing it for a long time now and I’m coming towards the end or latter middle of stage of my career.
But for the younger players, it’s massive.
I can only imagine what they’re going to get to experience and things they’re going to get to do.
What I’ve experienced and what I’ve done is amazing, and the games just getting bigger and stronger.
So, you can only imagine what they’re going to experience in 20 years time.
Wade will join the likes of world champion Peter Wright, former world champions Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price, womens star Fallon Sherrock and World Series of Darts finals champion Jonny Clayton when the tour comes Down Under for the first time in three years because of Covid.
The left-hander is unsure what sort of performances we will see from the PDC stars but said fans should expect to see some high-quality darts at some stage in Australia.
Its a funny standard at the World Series at times, Wade, a World Series of Darts finals winner in 2018, said.
It either seems to be extremely high or quite mediocre at times.
I don’t know if that’s because of jet lag with the players.
I’ve seen some of the highest standards I have ever seen and I’ve seen it go the other way.
The standard of the game full stop has just gone beyond.
Wade has a mixed record in the World Series events in Australia. He has made three semi-finals since his first appearance in Sydney in 2014.
But he has also been beaten three times in the first round by qualifiers, including twice by Australias Damon Heta, who joined with Simon Whitlock to defeat Wade and Michael Smith as the Aussies defeated England in the World Cup of Darts semi-finals last month.
Heta beat Wade 6-1 in the first round of the Melbourne Darts Masters in 2019 and 6-5 in the first round of the Brisbane Darts Masters in the same year before going on to take the title.
Wade said with Heta now based in England, he would not have any advantage and was looking forward to doing battle with him and the other home players.
The 39-year-old said he was confident of taking at least one tournament win in Australia before the roadshow moves to New Zealand later in August.
I go to every tournament thinking I am going to win or think I will do well, Wade said.
I haven’t won one yet, but I’m sure I will. If I could tell you when I’d be a rich man.
As long as I am feeling all right. There’s no reason why I won’t win either.
There’s no reason why I won’t win any tournament if I’m feeling right.
But you’ve also got a thing called opponents and sometimes opponents play very well.
I’d expect to pick up one down there, but who knows?
Wades partner Sammi will not be flying to Australia as shes due to give birth to the couples second son when he is in the country.
He is hoping that will not be a distraction as he looks for his first World Series win and he is looking forward to his first visit to Townsville and Wollongong.
Its one of the few countries you can go to that is like England.
Its a home from home but better weather sometimes.
I love going somewhere new and playing in places I’ve never played before because obviously I’ve been doing it 20 years I’ve been to a lot of places, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience a lot of things. So, it’s nice to go somewhere new somewhere fresh.
About Author
