PDC President Barry Hearn reveals Middle East World Series in the pipeline: "We've got quite a lot of demand around the world"

PDC President Barry Hearn may have stepped down from his active role as Chairman but he is still taking a hands on role alongside Chief Executive, Matt Porter and chairman, Eddie Hearn.

The last few weeks saw the return of fans in full to the World Matchplay and it was a brilliant sight for Hearn to see going down to the Winter Gardens once again.

"It was fabulous. I went up on the Thursday to watch Gerwyn Price and Dimitri van den Bergh and Krzysztof Ratajski. It was just a joy to be there, we're all darts fans as well. Like everything you don't really know what you've got in life until you miss it and I think you realise what we've been missing," said Hearn to Online Darts.

Hearn was asked about vaccine passports and on the potential implementation on them to enter sporting events and outside of that realm, nightclubs, gigs and other mass gatherings and he doesn't see a reason why they shouldn't happen.

"I can make a case for saying we should have vaccine passports why not. The jurys out, I don't buy into this human liberties, we're talking about people's safety and if it keeps them safe."

As well as that though, he revealed that the Grand Slam at Aldersley will only be there for another year with a move back to the Civic imminent after its long term refurbishment with also the possibility of a World Series event in the Middle East after it was previously ditched in Dubai.

"Now we're on sale for the World Darts Championship this week, Grand Prix's moved from Dublin to Leicester. The Grand Slam is all ready for its last year at the village before it goes back to the Civic and we start thinking that our world is returning to normality."

"I think you're going to find we're going to be quite adventurous in 2022. We've come through such a bad time, we're really ready to go for it."

"We're talking to a Middle East country at the moment with the view to a World Series event and hopefully that happens. We've got quite a lot of demand around the world for our product."