KIERAN GILL: Michael Smith’s maiden WDC win had everything needed to prove that darts IS a sport

Yes, it’s a sport. Away from the gimmicks, the Peter Wright conflict paint, the Gerwyn Price pantomime villainy, the blokes dressed as Spice Girls at Alexandra Palace and the Power Rangers telling the Ghostbusters they’ll’t afford the tables, there’s talent to this sport.

Try standing 7ft 9.25in away from a dartboard and throwing an arrow into treble 20, not to mention three in succession, and you’ll quickly recognize what these chaps do on the TV at Christmas.

Tuesday’s World Darts Championship ultimate between Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen had all of it, together with the best leg of darts ever seen. First, Van Gerwen missed double 12 for a nine-darter. Then, Smith landed double 12 for a nine-darter of his personal. All in the identical leg, seconds aside. Ally Pally erupted like by no means earlier than.

Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen performed out one of many biggest finals within the historical past of darts

It was such a sensational sporting second that Sky Sports’ likeable analyst Wayne Mardle misplaced his voice, forcing him to go away the commentary sales space. He was left speechless, actually.

The Ally Pally crowd sang ‘darts is coming home’ because the 32-year-old Englishman Smith gained 7-4, pocketing the £500,000 prize. Quite the leap from 1980 when Eric Bristow exited Stoke’s smoky Jollees nightclub with a cheque for £4,500.

It is a sport that has grown for the reason that days when the late, nice Jocky Wilson would stand along with his darts in a single hand and a cigarette within the different, and higher nonetheless, you’ll be able to do that at residence.

Try sending three arrows into treble20 from 7ft 9.25in away and you’ll recognize how tough darts truly is

I one way or the other satisfied my spouse, Jemma, to let me put up a dartboard in our downstairs backroom throughout the second coronavirus lockdown.

I promised the partitions can be secure (they weren’t). I advised her she would possibly get into it (she didn’t). I swore I wouldn’t waste cash on overpriced units of darts (I did). I vowed not to give myself a type of daft nicknames (I’m nonetheless open to options).

But it’s only when you begin throwing that you comprehend it isn’t really easy to direct that dart in your hand. I’ve hit one 180 to date and acquired so excited, I screamed. Jemma sprinted downstairs to see what was mistaken and after her eyes had rolled again to the entrance, I’m unhappy sufficient to have requested her to take my image with my one and solely second of darting perfection.

Darts has allowed Smith – who used to work on a cattle farm in Littleborough – to make himself into a millionaire

Sadly, I gained’t ever grace the Ally Pally stage or be cashing cheques value £500,000. But it’s the great thing about darts that anybody, from anyplace, man or girl, might. It is a sport which allows somebody like Smith, who used to work on a cattle farm in Littleborough, therefore his ‘Bully Boy’ nickname, to make himself a millionaire.

Tuesday had everything you could possibly need from a sporting showdown. Drama? Definitely. Talent? Totally. An viewers? The hangovers will attest to the enjoyable they had the evening earlier than. Fine margins? Van Gerwen was the width of a metallic wire from a nine-darter that may need tilted this ultimate in his favour, as a result of that is the distinction between perfection and failure on this sport.

The World Darts Championship could also be a ‘Christmas p***-up’ for a lot of. But strip all of it again and it’s a participant and his darts, eyesight and nerve, calculation and coordination, throwing for glory. 

Smith was topped the brand new world champion after dropping two finals beforehand. He wept as he hugged his spouse, Dagmara, and two sons, Michael Jr and Kasper. Then he confirmed his aggressive facet, saying he needs extra. So sure, it’s a sport.

The newly topped world champion failed on the identical stage in two earlier finals