Top darts players target UAE success

Dubai: Former world darts champion Adrian Lewis and fellow star of the sport Andy Hamilton have set their sights on success in the inaugural Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters next week, following the end of their McCoy’s Premier League Darts season.

They join 13-time world champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor; seven-time major title winner James Wade; European champion Simon Whitlock; two-time major finalist Wes Newton; and five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld in taking part in what is the first professional darts tournament to be staged in Dubai

Lewis and Hamilton missed out on places in the McCoy’s Premier League Darts play-offs this season, with Lewis overcoming defeats in his opening four matches to avoid relegation before ending the campaign eighth.

Hamilton was seventh in the final league table, meaning that the pair are forced to watch from the sidelines as the likes of Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor battle for the title in London this week.

However, their focus is already set on the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters, which will be held at the Dubai Tennis Stadium on May 23-24 and sees a major televised event visit the emirate for the first time.

“It’s an exciting time that the PDC’s going global and it’s massive as a player to be involved in this,” said Lewis. “I’m really looking forward to the event and hopefully I can win it.

“It would mean a lot to win this because it’s a big tournament featuring the world’s top eight players, so I can’t wait to get up there and show the fans what we can do.

“As soon as the draw’s been made next Wednesday, I can start focusing on the first game, which is vital, and then as you move forward you can look ahead.”

Hamilton added: “It will be interesting in Dubai and it should be a great event for everybody. I’m so proud of myself to be in the top eight, and to be going out there to represent this sport and the PDC is a dream.

“It’s a new place for us all to go to and we’re not sure what to expect, but it’s exciting time for us and for darts.”

Like Lewis, Hamilton has never previously visited Dubai, but he admits he will be fulfilling a “dream” next week.

“I’ve never been that far afield so it’s exciting to be going to Dubai,” he added. “My dream was just to play darts on TV but the next dream was to travel all around the world.

“I’ve done a bit of that, with the likes of Las Vegas, and obviously we’ll get to see another new culture in Dubai. It’s very exciting.”