"People will look back and say, “Yeah, but Devon did say": Devon Petersen gives three year timeline until Africa dominate darts

South Africa bowed out of the World Cup of Darts as dancing Devon Petersen made his return to the big stage with a prophecy for how the future of darts will go in the country and laying the ground work for it to happen.

Petersen, alongside Graham Filby, lost out to Sweden before defeating Mongolia, so they bowed out with a win, with Sweden moving through to the next round. Asked if he puts too much pressure on himself to do well at the World Cup, Petersen said that he wants to be the best no matter what, and while he knows he can't run before he can walk, he always has the desire to succeed even amid injury troubles previously.

"I don’t think it’s pressure, it’s more expectation. I want to be the very best all the time and I want to represent Africa as well as I possibly can," said Petersen to Online Darts.

"Back home, people are backing us, but there’s also a toxic climate within the sport at this point in time where everybody expects you to be at your very best. There’s a changing landscape in the sport and, for me, I know exactly the mountain I need to climb.

"Coming back from injury, I know I need to put one foot in front of the other. I can’t try to run before I can walk. Today, a victory is a victory on a big stage and you feel that victory.

"Like you said, it might not be enough, but as they say in Dumb and Dumber: “So you’re saying there’s a chance?” There’s always a chance."

Asked where he sees South Africa at right now in regards to the current state of the sport as a trailblazer, he said that he sees the next 12-18 months gleaming the future prospects with Petersen seeing a seismic shift.

"I feel as though the sport has elevated massively. We’ve come from the dark ages of not really knowing what the landscape looked like, to now being able to identify the hubs and areas where African darts groups are being established across multiple countries.

"I think the next 12 to 18 months are going to be huge for African darts. We had the unfortunate situation of Uganda withdrawing from the event because of visa issues, but we won’t have the same problem next year.

"Now everybody is putting their hand up and understanding what it means to represent your country on the biggest stage in the world. We have the landscape, we have the platform, and with the International Darts School League (IDSL), the applications coming through, Dartboard Maths and everything else, I give Africa three years before we start to dominate. Then people will look back and say, “Yeah, but Devon did say Africa was going to come through.”

Asked if a World Series event is perhaps the step, Petersen just wants structure and an ecosystem that enables players to grow and then he sees the next big step being the cameras and the glitz of something like a World Series.

"I feel as though a properly structured professional event is what will really swing the pendulum in our favour. It will showcase the ecosystem we’re building and reinforce the message that darts is no longer seen as a pub sport — it’s a top-tier professional sport.

"Having the lights, stage, cameras and action in Africa is the next big step. Having yourselves and your channel come through as well is fantastic.

"Most importantly, it’s about making sure the top players can rub shoulders with the local players. That will make them feel far more valued than they do right now. I think within the next 24 months it’s within reach, maybe not necessarily a World Series event, but certainly something on the international stage. That could change everything.

"Having people like Mark Webster involved as well — commentators and personalities that everybody idolises — coming to Africa and Cape Town would be a massive benefit for the sport."

Asked about the perceived toxic climate, he claims is apparent in South Africa, he said that it is understanding and TV v reality that is the issue, that not every player can be Luke Littler straight away.

"It’s exactly that. What people are exposed to on a continuous basis is the Premier League every week, exhibitions, Euro Tour events and players producing 100-plus averages all the time. These are the very best players in the world.

"When South Africa performs, for example, I’ll say we’re probably not at that level all the time. We can certainly produce one, three or four games like that, but people expect us to perform at that level constantly right now, without understanding that the platform and infrastructure are different.

"We’re still developing as a continent. Performances like Graham Filby’s yesterday show everybody that he can perform at that level, which means others can as well. Today we got the victory, which is fantastic. Africa and South Africa have performed on that stage multiple times. For me personally, this is my 13th appearance and we’ve had more positive results than negative ones.

"What’s important is showcasing that not only to adults, but also to the under-18s coming through. We need to keep developing the pipeline of talent. It’s not about now, it’s about the future. Graham Filby leading the way is a great thing for us."

But also comes from restriction, and Petersen is trying to break down those barriers to entry that are currently an issue, and while he is around flying the flag with Graham Filby, he said that it should hopefully make people dream.

"I think the most important thing is that day-to-day life in Africa can often feel restrictive. In many ways, people aren’t encouraged to dream. You’re focused on survival, putting food on the table for your family and sport often becomes just a hobby that has to fit around everything else.

"What we’re creating now through the International Darts School League, Dartboard Maths and other initiatives is making sport part of the school curriculum itself — not just extracurricular, but co-curricular — because of the mathematical element that darts brings.

"Not only sport in general, but darts specifically, is fully accessible and easy to adopt within schools. School sport has become a challenge in many places, so we need to change the narrative. Through equipment donations from Mission and other partners, and through initiatives like Mission 369, we’re taking the sport directly into schools.

"That changes how darts is seen and how it’s experienced in the classroom. I always say dart players are geniuses because we perform mathematics subconsciously. We use cognitive recall so naturally and so smoothly. It’s beyond what most people realise. The sport itself can elevate people. I genuinely believe darts can transform Africa, and myself and Graham Filby will do everything we can to help lead the way."