“It’s Time Darts Went Olympic”: Dutch MP Calls for the Sport’s Biggest Step Yet

Should darts finally join the Olympic Games? One Dutch politician certainly thinks so. Jimme Nordkamp, a member of the country’s Labour–Green alliance, has urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to give darts the global recognition he believes it has earned.

In an interview with De Telegraaf, Nordkamp said it was time for the sport to be treated as more than a pub pastime. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s time for the next step: darts should become an Olympic sport. It’s top-level competition now,” he said.

Nordkamp, who represents Losser in the Dutch parliament, isn’t speaking from the sidelines—he plays himself. A regular at the oche, he says his passion for the sport comes from seeing how far it’s developed. “Darts has become a proper international sport, with millions watching around the world. We can’t keep pretending it’s not.”

Nordkamp’s push echoes what many in the darts world have been saying for years. Dutch superstar Michael van Gerwen was asked about Olympic inclusion before the 2024 Polish Darts Masters, and he didn’t dismiss the idea.

“I think it can happen,” said Van Gerwen. “There are sports already in the Olympics that are less professional and not as global as ours. But it’s not up to me — it’s down to the Olympic Committee, Matchroom Sport, and the PDC. I don’t get a say, even though I’d love to.”

For all the momentum, several barriers stand in the way. Chief among them is governance. The IOC only recognises sports that have a single, worldwide governing body — and darts doesn’t. The PDC dominates the professional circuit, while the now-defunct BDO once ran the amateur game. Without a unified international federation, Olympic recognition is off the table.

There’s also the issue of global reach. The IOC insists a men’s sport must be played competitively in at least 75 countries, and a women’s sport in 40, across at least three continents. Darts likely ticks the box for men, but some of those “countries” are regions or territories not officially recognised by the IOC. The women’s game, meanwhile, still lacks the same worldwide footprint.

Still, there’s reason for optimism. Darts’ popularity is booming beyond its traditional strongholds in Britain and the Netherlands. The sport’s audience is growing fast in Asia, North America, and Australia, and the women’s circuit continues to gain traction thanks to figures like Beau Greaves and Fallon Sherrock.

With more professional structure, international cooperation, and visibility, Olympic darts doesn’t sound like fantasy — it sounds like a matter of time. As Nordkamp puts it: “Darts deserves its place on the biggest sporting stage in the world. And I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.”