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Foreign Link players call for Darts Association to step up
Kaieteur Sports- With the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean (CDLC) Tours nearing its first official weekend of the 2025 season, the Guyana Darts Association (GDA) has yet to decide on a local qualifier to select a two-member team to represent Guyana at the tour which will advertently provide participants a chance to secure spots at the 2025 Darts World Cup. In an optimistic request, the Foreign Link Darts Club (FLDC) has already expressed interest in sending a four-member team to participate in the Caribbean/Latin America event.
The first of three weekends on the Tour is scheduled for April 24-27 in Panama City, Panama. The next two legs are set for July and October in Grand Bahamas and Santiago, Chile, respectively. Notably, these tours provide players with opportunities to qualify for the World Darts Championship.
Proposed FLDC team to participate at CDLC Tours (L-R) Dean Prasad, Christopher Lochan, Sudesh Fitzgerald, Norman Madhoo and Lalchand Rambharose.
Meanwhile, tensions between the GDA and players persist, as the association continues to display a clear disconnect to player concerns. Active darts clubs like the Foreign Link DC are stepping in to bridge the gap. However, this disconnect has led to financial burdens on players. According to club members, the cost per trip ranges from two to three million Guyana dollars per trip, a figure that players often have to cover out of pocket with minimal to no support from the association.
This raises important questions: Does the GDA have clear criteria for player participation in local and international competitions? If so, how can players meet these criteria, and what kind of support does the association provide for such events? Is this an issue of poor leadership, or is it a structural problem within the organisation? These questions can only be answered by the person who sits at the helm of the association.
Guyana currently boasts two standout darts players, Norman Madhoo and Sudesh Fitzgerald (both of the FLDC), who have represented the nation at the highest levels of the sport. Despite their achievements, the association seems to undervalue their talent.
Hosting local qualifiers would not only provide players with more game time but also give them opportunities to compete against top talents from countries like Chile, Brazil, Jamaica, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Bahamas. Participation in the CDLC Tours ultimately increases the chances of securing spots at the World Championship. Is this a common goal of the association? One may ask. This question is yet to be answered.
It is high time the local governing body (Darts) takes decisive action to resolve the ongoing rift between players and the association. The GDA has an obligation to establish a fair and structured system that supports and nurtures talent, ensuring that every citizen has the opportunity to excel in the sport.
The FLDC, for its part, has already begun working on a budget to facilitate the participation of four members in the first two CDLC Tour events in Panama and Chile. Despite the association’s lethargic response, members of the darts community are calling on the GDA to fulfill its responsibilities. According to an FLDC spokesperson, several attempts have been made to engage with the association’s president to address these issues, but no tangible solutions have been proposed.
As the 2025 season approaches, it remains to be seen whether the GDA will step up to champion the sport and support its players or continue to let the sport struggle under its current frailty.
(Foreign Link players call for Darts Association to step up)
- Caribbean/Latin America event, Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean, Chile, Grand Bahamas, provide participants, Santiago
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