Latvia will replace China at the World Cup of Darts in a late replacement due to travel issues for the latter team.
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The Chinese pairing of Di Zhuang and Zizhao Zheng were set to make their World Cup debut this weekend with a tie against Kai Fan Leung and Royden Lam for Hong Kong in their sights.
But despite receiving valid visas and providing negative tests which allowed them to travel, an administrative technicality relating to their connecting flight, they couldn't get to Austria and compete in the World Cup.
They will be replaced by the duo of PDC Tour Card holder Madars Razma and Janis Mustafejevs who is the next-ranked Latvian from the PDC Nordic and Baltic rankings.
PDC Chief Executive, Matt Porter said about the replacement: "We're very disappointed that the Chinese team has been unable to make it to Salzburg."
"The two players and their management worked extremely hard to adhere to all the additional requirements that are needed for international travel at this time, flying domestically to obtain the required visa to enter Austria which they obtained only on Thursday after several weeks of paperwork submissions, and incurring significant personal cost in the process.
"They were denied boarding at Guangzhou airport on Friday morning local time on a minor administrative technicality which unfortunately there is no time for them to rectify if they were to be able to make it to Austria at any time on Friday.
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"We thank the Latvian pairing for their willingness to be on stand-by until the last minute and look forward to welcoming them to the event."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
Late team change... 🇨🇳🇱🇻
Despite receiving visa clearance earlier today, China have now been forced to withdraw from the @BetVictor World Cup of Darts, and have been replaced by Latvia.
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