Thursday, October 3, 2024
Column HR468
WHOOPS!
The Old Dart Coach has been sentenced to a dinner of crow, fava beans and an average Chianti for committing the cardinal sin as a writer – he penned an incorrect “fact”. Shame on him. Bad boy. If he had a doghouse, he’d be in it.
In last week’s adventure of brilliant dart coverage, the ODC wrote that David Cameron would be the Canada’s CDC representative to the PDC World Championships. A polite note from Jim Long set him straight. The ODC apologizes especially to Jim Long and (both) loyal readers. The ODC has rapidly approaching CRS disease.
Kudos go out the World Dart Federation (WDF) for finally taking a stance on “trans” women playing women’s events. The remit (proposal) was passed last Tuesday at “a rather tense general (WDF) meeting.” It’s been reported that the most contentious item was the transgender debate. “The vote was close not surprisingly with the pressure to put off this debate for longer!”
Let‘s give credit where credit is due to Deta Hedman, the player’s representative on the WDF Board for her principled and heroic fight. It was only due to a post she made as a result that this key decision by the WDF came to light. She posted: “A very brief statement, a remit (proposal), put into the WDF from England seconded by Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.”
The regulatory change means that in women’s, men’s, girl’s and boy’s categories of WDF tournaments and competitions only persons “natural born” as females or males are allowed to participate. It passed on a members’ vote. To the surprise of no one the Netherland’s Dart Board (NDB) voted no.
The NDB’s reasoning is more about “CYA” than actual fact. The NDB statement that reads: “The NDB stands for fair and inclusive darts” is pure hogwash. Part of the NDB statement also reads “We believe that it is first necessary to thoroughly investigate whether men and trans women have an advantage over women in darts and if so, what this is about.” As my late mother would say, “My God the Bridge.” What a load of cow stuff.
Both Dr. Linda Batten and Deta Hedman have provided examples that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that men and “trans women” have a scoring advantage.
Two of the Netherlands’ top women players bolted from the national team in April. Anca Zijlstra wrote: “The moment when you feel ashamed to play for the Dutch team because a biological man plays on the women’s team, it’s time to go.” Neither Zijlstra nor Aileen de Graaf were on the Netherlands Team that competed in the Euro Cup last week.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova complained that women have the “short end of the stick” in response to Noa-Lynn van Leuven’s success. Women have been getting the “Short end of the stick since the beginning of time.” Draw your own interpretation.
To understand the Netherland’s reasoning is to realize that it is more about self-interest than logic. The Europe CUP concluded last week. Were it not for van Leuven (a women with male hardware installed at birth) the Netherlands would not have won the women’s title. They won the title with 140 points. van Leuven added 75 of those points. The other three Dutch women had only one in top 32 finish, 1 in the top 64 and 1 in the top 128 of the singles or doubles.
What happens if, say a trans-man, enters a WDF sanctioned tournament in the USA? It would be a bad predicament for the tournament and the ADO as that person would have a “well-funded group” behind them that love to sue.
The Las Vegas Open would be a most delectable target. The time is right: it’s in January the money is good, and the weather is welcoming. On top of that from the ladies’ view, there are two WDF singles (which last year provided a course in fine dining for Fallon Sherrock). Ms. Sherrock devoured both the WDF singles for $5,340. She also won the women’s cricket singles and with Leonard Gates added $2,400 – taking home to England a grand total of $7,740. If she stayed away from gaming, it would be a very profitable weekend in Vegas.
Could Noa-Lynn van Leuven resist the trip? It would put the ADO in a difficult position. Stay tuned.
With most of the PDC European tour stops it’s usually “Round up the usual suspects.” Yes, the ODC has again borrowed on a line from Casablanca…
The Swiss Darts Trophy event at St. Jakobshalle was one where the usual suspects departed. Four established names exited during the round of 8. Josh Rock played with his sometimes show skill sending Luke Humphries home 6-1. Raymond van Barneveld fell victim to Martin Schindler 6-4, James Wade exited 6-2 at the hands of Callan Rydz and Daryl Gurney was sent packing by Ryan Searle.
Both semis were blow outs as Martin Schindler dispatched Josh Rock (7-2) and Ryan Searle waved bye-bye to Callan Rydz 7-1.
The final was a humdinger. Searle was “en fuego” taking the first 4 legs that included a T24 exit. Schindler had one double look. Searle got to 5-1, which might have been 6-nil but for as missed d12. Undaunted by the miss Searle stretched his lead to 6-2 with Schindler’s leg at T42 finish.
With the eight legs needed for the win Searle could see the finish despite having very bad eyesight. Schinder would narrow a tad at 4-6 as Searle missed three doubles in one leg. After Schindler missed one at the bull Searle vanished 93 for a 7th leg and was only one leg from victory.
Then a pair of Searle misses and suddenly it was 5-7. That morphed into 6-7. Then, three Searle misses combined with a Schindler to finish and suddenly it was level at 7. Searle had missed 7 match darts.
The decider went to Schindler in 15 darts, and it could have been 13 but for a pair of misses. Searle was at 233 when the final dart found home.
Searle’s after match comment is an understatement: “It’s just one of those things, I bottled it a bit.” One could say that, and one did.
Stay thirsty my friends.
