Darts Tops Integrity Poll in Sports

As Darts continues to increase in popularity all around the world it has been given a huge nod of approval by UK fans, topping an independent poll as the Sport with the highest integrity.
The poll, conducted by Portland, measured the public’s perception of major sports on 4 key issues. Likeliness of match/point fixing, the use of performance enhancing drugs amongst athletes, financial corruption, and cover-up stories and scandals were all polled about. Darts is considered the least likely to be affected by performance enhancing drugs and cover-up stories, whilst it is considered the sport with the highest integrity in 4 age groups, spanning a total range of 18-54 years.
Another of PDC chairman Barry Hearn’s sporting enterprises also ranked in the top 5, snooker finishing 4th. Mr Hearn took to twitter to express his joy at both of these results.
"This independent report is a big thumbs-up for the sport of darts during a time of amazing growth at a professional level both in the UK and worldwide," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"PDC tournaments are amongst the most-watched sporting events on British television and our worldwide circuit will offer a record £12m in prize money this year - figures that could hardly have been dreamed of ten years ago.
"We work with the Darts Regulation Authority to implement both Anti-Corruption and Anti-Doping programmes, while the Darts Integrity Unit offers a confidential way of reporting any potential irregularities.
"Whilst this report is a massive boost, we have to continue to be vigilant in our development as a professional sport if we are to retain this standing with the most important people; the general public who both watch darts on television and buy tickets to attend PDC tournaments in-person.
"They're seeing wonderful characters battling it out on the oche, but the real beauty is that darts players are ordinary people with an extraordinary talent for their sport."
https://twitter.com/BarryHearn/status/896286510936403968

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