Mozhgan Rahmani is an Iranian female darts player. Since 2017, she has been a member of the Iranian National Darts Team.
Mozhgan is the first Iranian in Iran’s Darts history to be inducted into Professional Darts Corporation. She is an Iranian legionary in Malaysia’s DURY team. Neeman Hasida and Haya Zoldin had a chat with Mozhgan Rahmani for DartsNews.
Q: Hi, Mozhgan! How do you feel? How is your health?
MR: Hi! Thank you. I feel good and everything is fine!
Q: Do you have the opportunity for full training? Who is helping you with this?
MR: Yes, I have time for that. My coach is Mehdi Shayesteh. He is the head coach of the national darts team of Iran. Also, Azmi Arif, a good coach from Malaysia, helped me in mind training.
Q: Are you playing darts every day? How much time do you spend on this?
MR: Yes, I am. Now darts is all my life. I left everything in my life because of darts, I left my job and my master’s university as well.
Q: Nowadays web-camera is the main assistant to players. What did you think when you have played your first match at the online tournament?
MR: That was very amazing. I started to play in a big tournament, COVID. Igor Perak invited me and later I have been supported by Ivan Mosa. In the COVID, I was the first and the only player from Iran who was taking part in an online national darts competition. That was a new experience and I enjoyed it very much. In the 4-th round of the tournament, I played in L128 against a champion of soft darts in Europe, El Abbas El Amri. He won 10-7 but I learned a lot.
Q: In how many competitions are you participating now?
MR: At one time, I accepted all invitations from organizers of many online tournaments in Europe. But now I decided to play online darts only against professional players in PDC. And also I am playing in women's league COVID with 17 ladies from 13 countries. This is a good experience, I think.
Q: Female players from which countries are participating in these tournaments?
MR: There are ladies from Germany, Malaysia, Iran, Hungary, Turkey, Croatia, Norway, Mongolia, Sweden, Ireland, France, Ukraine, and Indonesia.
Q: What is your best result for now in online competitions?
MR: I became the champion of Chile in women's (there were 44 ladies from 6 countries) and men's competitions. Also, I was the only female player who has reached top 32 in English online tournament, Home Series of darts.
Q: Does the participation in the online tournaments help you?
MR: Online tournament is a new way in darts. I like this sort of competition because I can play with professional players and learn from them.
Q: Where do you usually have your training?
MR: At home and club. My setup at my room is a wonderful gift from Ross Hampton. He is not only the best manager but also the best friend to me.
Q: What dart model are you playing now?
MR: I have a lovely dart model. It's Cuesoul, 23 grams. Last year in the PDC Asian Tour Singapore I met Kenny Chen and Nancy Ambrose. Nancy is a ''mother'' of Asia darts and a lovely woman that helping to many players in Asia. She talked with Cuesoul about me. Kenny saw my matches in the last stage of the PDC Asian Tour and selected me to join his brand. Now I have my own darts, flights, and case. This is the first time in the world, I think, that a female player with a hijab has her own darts. For Iran, I am also the only player who has a contract with a darts brand and own darts.
Q: In the videos that you are posting on Facebook, you have the perfect throw technique. What is your secret?
MR: My coach was putting a cover on my dartboard for 3 months and was teaching me how I should throw. My technique remains the same for 4 years.
[video width="550" height="250" mp4="https://dartsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/bandicam-2020-06-23-13-36-04-918.mp4"][/video]
Q: With whom would you like to play right now? Maybe with Phil Taylor?
MR: I never think about who is playing against me but believe that my opponent is just a dartboard.
Q: What is darts in Iran?
MR: Darts isn’t a very famous sport in Iran, but we are trying our best for it in our country.
Q: How do dart accessories get to Iran?
MR: With difficultly. My manager, Ross Hampton, helps me to get them.
Q: How often do the Iranian players compete with each other?
MR: Quite often. We have many competitions in Iran and also playing in an online tournament.
Q: In which national competitions the Iranian players are taking part?
MR: Iranian players almost went to the Turkey Open. The Association darts of Iran only sent the youth national team to World Cup-2017/2019. Many years ago, Masoud Zohori, the first Chairman of Association darts of Iran, sent the adult team to World Cup-2007/2011 and Asia Cup-2006. Mahdi Shayesteh and Kambiz Ayoubzadeh, with their own money, sent youth and adult national darts team of Iran to Turkey for World Cup-2015. And also Hamid Azaripour sent adult national teams of Iran to Asia Cup-2016 in Japan. In 2016 is the last year that Iran sent the adult national team. Unfortunately, I started playing darts slightly later. In 2017, I have been selected for the national team but it was never sent to any tournament. I decided to start travelling for darts by myself.
Q: Are you the only one who is representing Iran at international competitions for now?
MR: Yes, I am. In the PDC Asia Tour and Dutch Open-2020.
Q: This year you for the first time have been playing in Europe. What does this trip mean to you?
MR: That was amazing and a great experience for me. I have never seen anything like Dutch Open-2020 in my professional life... I am playing in Asia tournaments a lot and became 4 times champion in Asia, in open WDF tournaments, but Asia is very different from Europe. I should practice more to play there.
Q: You are constantly playing in Southeast Asia. Why exactly the Netherlands became your first European country?
MR: The Netherlands, because I have a couple of friends from this country — Arie van Malsen and Monika van Malsen Bakalarczyk. They helped me with my visa as well as Paul Brown, a manager of the world champion, Wayne Warren, and Sajjad Gharibi from Iran. I couldn’t believe that, but these people did it for me because for the Iranians it is difficult to get a European visa.
Q: Are your problems with your EU visa already over? Can you easily play in all European tournaments?
MR: Now yes, I can.
Q: What is the role of "Big 5 Management" in this? Can you say that you are already part of this team?
MR: Paul Brown is the Chairman of "Big 5" and a great manager. He and "Big 5" helped me with my visa. Paul has a nice and strong team. It would be my pleasure to join them if I wouldn't have a team already, but now I am in a good one, also with my manager, Ross Hampton, and my darts partner, Nitin Kumar.
Q: Have you discussed such an option with Paul Brown?
MR: Yes, we talked about that. Paul is my good friend now, and I am comfortable talking with him about darts and my situation. I am trying to learn from Paul.
Q: Your journey from Iran to the Netherlands has taken 10 hours. How was it for you?
MR: Tough because the first flight had a problem and in Turkey, I missed my second one... So I stayed there alone to wait for another flight. After 2 days, finally, I reached the Netherlands and my dream about Dutch Open has come true!
Q: How much did it cost you to travel to the Netherlands?
MR: A lot, about 700 euros. I always keep all my cash prizes and spend all of them for my darts travellings.
Q: Who helps to develop darts in your country and what help is provided to the darts players who want to represent Iran in international competitions?
MR: There are people who care about the destiny of darts in Iran and who understand that for the full development of professionalism in this sport it is necessary to take part in international competitions. Sometimes, Iranian darts players have difficulty obtaining a visa. Therefore, a couple of darts masters in our country, mostly with 15 years of experience, established PDCIR (Professional Darts Club Iranian Pishro). 1 year ago, this organization put lots of effort to be a recognized channel of communication and coordination with respectful darts centres around the world for all talented players who don’t have such a possibility, hoping to support and promote them by arranging and managing their attendance in competitions abroad. PDCIR isn't only a channel of proper communication, but it also spends time on professional training and financially supports talented darts players.
Q: What was your first opinion about the Dutch Open gaming zones?
MR: I knew it will be a great tournament but... I didn't expect that the Dutch Open is so huge! It was incredible!
Q: Have you played in such large-scale competitions earlier?
MR: I only played in Malaysia Open. This is the biggest event in Asia I have ever played in 2017/18/19. I became champion in Malaysia Open 2017/2019. In Malaysia Open 2019, Russ Bray was a referee of my final, on the stage. He is a nice man. Also, I played in the Philippine Open, a good and big tournament in Asia.
Q: Have you decided on which international tournament you will take part in when there will be an opportunity for this?
MR: I will try to play in all European tournaments in 2021 but most important for me is to play in PDC World Championship Women's Qualifier, in Germany.
Q: Could this be any English tournament or is the issue of obtaining you a visa to the UK still open?
MR: Yes, of course, it could be. I know, that to improve skills it's necessary to play also in UK tournaments. Hopefully, with Paul Brown's help, I can get Sports Visa UK for one year to play in those tournaments.
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