Aspinall Comments on Crowd Presence and Venue Atmosphere

English darts star Nathan Aspinall has expressed his thoughts on the crowd at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters, suggesting that not all spectators were attending “of their own accord.” Speaking to the YouTube channel Darts Now, Aspinall, 34, reflected on the differences of competing in Saudi Arabia compared to more traditional darts venues in the UK and Europe.

“It’s certainly different,” Aspinall said. “I’m not stupid. I feel like they [the crowd] weren’t all there of their own accord, shall we say, and it was quite a small venue. Everything needs to start somewhere, but as long as people walk away from the week thinking, ‘You know what, we really enjoyed the darts,’ and it gets good coverage, that’s a positive.”

First-Time Event in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabia Darts Masters is part of the World Series of Darts and features top international players including world champion Luke Littler, fellow Englishman Luke Humphries, and Dutch superstar Michael van Gerwen. The two-day event is being held at the Global Theater in Riyadh, a venue with a capacity of just 1,000 spectators.

This tournament marks the first time a major Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) event has been held in Saudi Arabia, a country with strict no-alcohol regulations that influence crowd behavior. Aspinall noted that while the atmosphere was “different” without the traditional boisterous crowd seen at UK tournaments, he still found it enjoyable. “Whenever I looked out into the crowd, you could actually tell they were watching it,” he said.

PDC Responds to Aspinall’s Comments

A spokesperson for the PDC told BBC Sport that the organisation was “delighted to see such strong interest” in the Saudi event. The spokesperson added that Aspinall’s remarks reflected the novelty of hosting a darts tournament in the region. All spectators were attending as either ticket holders or invited guests, and as with any new market, the composition and atmosphere of the crowd may differ from established darts events in Europe.

Saudi Arabia’s Growing Sports Calendar

Saudi Arabia has increasingly become a hub for international sporting events, hosting Formula 1, major golf tournaments, and planning to host the men’s football World Cup in 2034. Despite its growing sports calendar, the kingdom faces scrutiny over human rights and environmental concerns, which occasionally draws attention to events held in the country.

Aspinall’s Performance and Tournament Highlights

Aspinall started the tournament strongly, defeating Lourence Ilagan of the Philippines 6-2 in the first round. He will face Man Lok Leung of Hong Kong in the quarter-finals, who caused a major upset by beating Dutchman Danny Noppert 6-3. Aspinall noted the lighthearted nature of his match against Ilagan, joking that they were “laughing the whole game” as the crowd adapted to darts etiquette, such as clapping at unexpected moments.

Other notable results from the round of 16 include:

• Luke Littler defeating Singapore veteran Paul Lim 6-1
• Luke Humphries beating Japan’s Ryusei Azemoto 6-2
• Michael van Gerwen advancing with a 6-1 victory over Nitin Kumar of India
• Gerwyn Price whitewashing Alexis Toylo 6-0
• Stephen Bunting defeating Japan’s Tomoya Goto 6-1

Record Prize for Nine-Darter

The Saudi Arabia Darts Masters offers a record prize pot for a nine-darter: $200,000 (£149,400). Players hitting a nine-darter will automatically earn $100,000 (£74,700), with the potential to double the prize by hitting the bullseye with an additional dart—a first in PDC history.

Saudi Arabia Darts Masters Quarter-Finals

The upcoming quarter-final matches are set as follows:

• Michael van Gerwen vs Stephen Bunting
• Nathan Aspinall vs Man Lok Leung
• Gian van Veen vs Luke Littler
• Gerwyn Price vs Luke Humphries

As the first-ever PDC event in Saudi Arabia continues, attention will remain on both the growing popularity of darts in the region and the impact of cultural differences on crowd atmosphere.