"Probably the biggest sport that's not in the Olympic Games" - Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries champion idea of darts at the Olympics

PDC
Wednesday, 19 June 2024 at 12:37
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The 2024 Paris Olympic Games take place later this summer and although darts won't be one of the vast number of sports featuring, could or should the sport be added to a future edition of sport's biggest bonanza?

During the recent Poland Darts Masters, Michael van Gerwen was asked about the possibility. "I can imagine it happening because I see other sports that are not as professional or not as big as us. But, it's not up to me. It's up to the Olympic committee, Matchroom sports, the PDC..." the three-time former world champion answers. "It's out of my league. I wish I could have an influence on it, but unfortunately not."

If darts were a part of the current Olympic cycle, you'd have to imagine the reigning world champion and current world number one, Luke Humphries would be one of the hot favourites to add an Olympic gold medal to his growing trophy collection. "I do think it should be there to be honest with you," Humphries answers assertively when asked at his own Poland Darts Masters press conference. "Right now in the UK, it's probably the second or third most popular sport and it's only growing and getting bigger in so many other countries. So yeah, it's probably the biggest sport that's not in the Olympic Games and it probably should be."

Humphries and van Gerwen aren't the only two with their hearts set on one day competing for Olympic gold either. Former world champion and world number one Michael Smith previously expressed his desire to see the sport added to a future games. “Yeah of course I would! I started bring it up more last year that I want it to be in there," he told Fox Sports previously. "Darts is not just a sport you can just pick up and do. There’s a walking race (at the Olympics). Anyone can walk. That’s something everyone can do. I could go out and swim 50m in 70 seconds. Not everyone can do this sport."

“We’re out-attending football and football’s in the Olympics. Our attendance is up there — it’d earn a lot of money for the Olympic committee. I think it’d be a great addition," Smith continued. "I truly believe it should be there. If we keep pushing and pushing then maybe. There’s different sports coming in now and hopefully we can get there one day."

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