Latest update November 16th, 2024 1:00 AM
Dec 09, 2009 Sports
– Feels more confident 5 years later
By Rawle Welch
Throwing the dart with unerring accuracy during a practice session last Monday evening at his home, Guyana’s representative at this year’s Ladbrooke.com World darts Tournament Norman Madhoo appears to be in the kind of form that could see him create history for the Caribbean.
The multiple times national champion is looking to become the first player from the Caribbean to make it past the first round which was the same point Barbadian Anthony exited the 2007 tournament.
The competition which starts on December 18 and runs until January 3 will be played at the Alexandra Palace in London, England and most of the world best players are expected to participate for total prize money of 1million pounds with the winner to take home a staggering 125,000, while each contestant is guaranteed 3,000.
Madhoo, who became the first Guyanese to compete at the tournament in 2003-04, is returning for the second time and his trip back follows that of another local Sudesh Fitzgerald, who made the trek to England last year, making it two years in succession that Guyana has fielded the Caribbean and South America representative.
According to the darts ace, he is much more confident now and in much better shape than the last time and expects to put on a good show for fans in the Caribbean.
The arena holds around 2,500 spectators with a worldwide television audience expected to be in the vicinity of 16 million.
Madhoo failed in his previous bid to make it past the first round and opens up against North American qualifier Ken McNeil.
The winner of this encounter goes on to play 12th ranked Englishman Alan Talbern in the next round and Madhoo informed that it will not get any easier.
Madhoo had won the Caribbean and South American Masters Tournament in Barbados recently and that served as the qualifier for the world tournament.
The champion disclosed that since his return from Barbados, he has been working out two hours per day, getting in valuable practice against the likes of Fitzgerald, Colin France and Sherwyn Greene some of the better players on the local circuit.
Asked if he felt intimidated by the possibility of meeting with the world #12 so early, the champ responded by stating an emphatic no.
“These guys get their ranking by playing tournaments regularly, but it is not to say that they are way ahead of you in terms of class, so I’m not too worried about such a clash,” he said.
Quizzed on why the sport seems to be in decline here despite his and Fitzgerald’s outstanding achievements, Madhoo opined that the some of the players are not committed, while the current executive lacks the vibrancy to advance the sport.
“In Guyana today, it is all about contacts and this is important if you want to secure sponsorship to host tournaments,” Madhoo felt.
He urged that the sport be introduced in schools as is the case in many other Caribbean territories and further a-field.
The sport according to Madhoo is growing at a phenomenal rate and could benefit the school curriculum, especially with Mathematics, since it entails the counting of points both addition and subtraction.
“Unlike what obtains in countries such as Barbados where companies like Bryden’s, Angostura and Mount Gay sponsor big tournaments, in Guyana no such thing occurs.”
Madhoo is being sponsored by Bryden’s of Barbados and they’ve already consented to purchase his airline ticket to get to the tournament.
The current title holder is Phil Taylor, who is a 14-time world champion
Kaieteur Sport wishes Madhoo the best of luck.
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