Darts not an Olympic sport for now: why is darts missing from the Olympics?

On Friday, the Paris Olympics will officially open with an opening ceremony across the Seine River. There are a total of 32 sports that will be practiced at the 2024 Olympics. Unfortunately for darts fans, darts is missing from the Olympic calendar. But why isn't darts actually an Olympic sport?

For a sport to become an Olympic event, it must meet several criteria set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). These requirements are designed to ensure that the sport is practiced worldwide, has a strong organizational structure, and is consistent with the values and image of the Olympics.

One of the requirements is that there be an international governing body that oversees and organizes the sport. This governing body must meet IOC standards and be a member of the Association of IOC Recognized International Sports Federations (ARISF). Darts federations PDC and WDF are both currently not recognized as sports federations by the IOC.

In addition, global participation is required to be admitted to the Olympics.The sport must be practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents. In addition, a sport must be practiced by women in at least 40 countries and on three continents.

The sport must also have a wide range of participants, both in the form of recreational and competitive players. There are currently 76 member organizations affiliated with the World Darts Federation (WDF), but this list includes organizations that are not officially recognized as countries, such as Catalonia, for example.

Moreover, one might wonder if some of the member countries can deliver competitive players for an Olympics. Countries like Nigeria, Pakistan and Trinidad and Tobago are members of the WDF, but they cannot send players who can compete competitively in the Olympics. If you look at the PDC, its 128 Tour Card holders come from 23 different countries. That is a better measure of whether a sport is globally broad and competitive enough.

In addition, there are a number of other requirements a sport must meet. The sport must have an established history and have been practiced internationally for a considerable time. A strict anti-doping policy is necessary and cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is mandatory. The international governing body and national federations must be financially stable and able to organize events without financial problems. The sport must fit within the vision and mission of the Olympic Games. This means it must contribute to the promotion of peace, respect, and understanding between different cultures and people. In addition, a sport must be inclusive and accessible to a wide range of participants regardless of gender, age, and socioeconomic background.

Meeting requirements is not a guarantee

The sport of darts still has a long way to go to meet all these requirements. When these requirements are met, there are two options by which the sport of darts can be added to the Olympics.

The organizing country of the Olympics may add sports to the program. At the Tokyo Olympics (by corona pandemic in 2021), climbing, surfing and skateboarding were added to the program. At this Olympics in Paris, break dancing will make its debut at the Olympics. In 2028 in Brisbane, Australia, we are going to see flag football and squash. In 2012, the Olympics were hosted in London. That actually would have been a great opportunity to add darts to the lineup.

Another option is for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) itself to add a sport to the program. They evaluate every four years whether sports can be removed from the program or added.

What do the players think?

Luke Humphries, Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen have recently indicated that they would like to see darts at the Olympics. ''Right now darts is probably the second or third biggest sport in England. I think it's growing and getting bigger in so many other countries. It's probably the biggest sport that's not in the Olympics, so I think it should be,'' reigning world champion Humphries said.

Van Gerwen concurred. ''I see other sports (already at the Olympics) that are not as professional or as big as we are. That's not up to me. It's up to the Olympic committee. It's out of my control. I wish I could influence it, but unfortunately I can't."

Moreover, Smith thinks the International Olympic Committee (IOC) could line its pockets with the sport of darts. ''There are different sports coming up now and hopefully one day we will get there. We have more visitors than soccer and soccer is in the Olympics. It would make a lot of money for the Olympic Committee. I think it would be a great addition."

However, there are also some detractors. Darts analyst Wayne Mardle believes that the sport of darts does not belong in the Olympics. ''I think the sport of darts is mainly about the world championship. So then the Olympics would be secondary to that. I also think the Olympics is for Olympians, it's for people who are born physically stronger, faster and better than normal people. The Olympics should be about how fast or strong you can be, not about hitting a target. The other sports like shooting and archery don't belong there either,'' Mardle said.

Three-time world champion John Part concurs with Mardle's opinion. ''I would love it if the Olympics had a few less events. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see darts get a little more attention, but I love the main events, the 100 meters, weightlifting and things like that."

Raymond van Barneveld has also declared himself an opponent of adding to the Olympic calendar in the past. The five-time world champion believes the Olympics are reserved for "athletic figures," as HP De Tijd opined in 2013.