PDC reply to Nathan Aspinall’s shock Saudi feedback – ‘I’m not silly’
The PDC have clarified the make-up of the crowd at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters after Nathan Aspinall questioned whether spectators attended voluntarily
Nathan Aspinall made the surprising comments after his win over Lourence Ilagan at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters(Image: )
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has stepped in to address the make up of the spectators at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters following Nathan Aspinall’s suggestion that they were “not all there off their own accord”.
The tournament kicked off on Monday featuring several high-profile competitors including Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries. Aspinall was amongst the stars who travelled to the Middle East for the competition.
After defeating Lourence Ilagan in his first match, Aspinall offered his assessment of the crowd. He said: “I don’t know. There is definitely a long way to go.
“It’s certainly different. I am not stupid, I feel like they were not all there of their own accord shall we say. It was quite a small venue but you’ve got to start somewhere.
“Everything needs to start somewhere and as long as people walk away from this week and say, ‘we really enjoyed the darts’ and the Saudi Arabian press really enjoy the darts there is no reason why not.
“I’ve enjoyed my time out here so far, there is worse places to be. I could be sat in Glossop in the snow, so hopefully we can be back again.”
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The PDC has now issued a response to Aspinall’s remarks, insisting that all those present were genuine enthusiasts.
A statement reported by The Telegraph read: “Nathan was reflecting on the fact that this was a first-of-its-kind darts event in the region, with many attendees experiencing live darts for the first time.
“As with any new market, the atmosphere and crowd make-up can differ from long-established darts events such as those in the UK and Europe.
“All spectators attended as ticket holders or guests, and we were delighted to see such strong interest in the PDC’s debut in Saudi Arabia.”
In addition to Aspinall’s remarks, reigning world champion Luke Littler has also voiced his opinion, noting that the ambiance is significantly quieter than what he’s accustomed to.
After defeating Paul Lim, the young champ said: “It wasn’t such a loud environment. But I managed to play okay early on. A win is a win.
“It’s very different. I didn’t expect it. It’s not going to be loud. I think we need a bit of noise. We aren’t used to this. But I know what to expect on Tuesday.
“The only thing you can compare it to myself is when I competed in the WDF a few years ago. Other than that, all the other venues are dead loud – this one is very different.”
