James ‘The Machine’ Wade is in Dubai this week hoping to see off seven of the world’s top players to win the third staging of the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters. Maryam Al Shamsi spoke to the man.
Growing
The Englishman, 32, has played every year of the Dubai tournament and thinks UAE fans are really getting into their darts.
Enjoying
“They (the fans) are a bit quiet at the moment still, but they are getting there and they are more involved in the game. The first year we came here, they didn’t want to make any noise as they thought that would put us off. So it was completely silent for the first half of the night. But last year, they were getting into it and it’s getting loud, also they are enjoying themselves. It is a bit like they need to boo the bad and cheer for the good. They are enjoying it and getting into it, and they get what’s it all about.”
Guide: Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters: Everything you need to know
Sell out
Wade said he was surprised that darts, which is traditionally big in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, has become so popular around the world. “It seems that anywhere you go in the world, they sell out and it’s weird. It is completely different part of the world,” he said.
Successful
Wade, who is from Aldershot, England, has won eight major titles since joining the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), one of darts’ two organising bodies, in 2004. He was the youngest player, at 24 in 2007, to win the World Matchplay and his trophy haul makes him the PDC’s second most successful player of all time, behind Phil ‘the Power’ Taylor.
Confident
Wade has been drawn against the PDC world champion Gary Anderson in the first round tonight at Dubai Tennis Stadium and says he is confident of beating the Scotsman. Anderson said: “We have all come here to win, we all have the same mentality. James has been playing well. In the last 12 months James has come back to how well we know he can play. It will be a good game.”
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