THE SCOTS SURVIVE A SCARE! 🏴 Gary Anderson and Peter Wright clinch their spots in the quarter-finals with a dramatic 8-5 victory over the Philippines and they really had to work hard for that one! 📺 bit.ly/WorldCup23Live #WorldCupofDarts | Last 16
Wright sometimes struggles with life as sportsman: "You are just making excuses for why you are playing c**p"
PDCSunday, 18 June 2023 at 10:12
Peter Wright admits there is a lot of pressure on his shoulders to win the World Cup of Darts for the third time with Scotland.
'Snakebite' won the title with Gary Anderson in 2019 and was best with John Henderson in 2021. At this edition of the World Cup of Darts, Anderson will again partner Wright. The Scottish world number two is determined not to disappoint his country and teammate.
“I know golfers who say the rare team element feel of Ryder Cup is immense. You look the same in darts at the World Cup," said Wright to Toyo Tires.
“It just playing for your country, playing for your partner. The pressure of not wanting to let your partner, Scotland or yourself down.
“There’s nothing like it. It’s an amazing feeling. It gives me that buzz.
“I don’t want to let Gary down. Or John (Henderson) down. Or Robert (Thornton). If you are playing local pub leagues, team games, pairs, you always want to win for your team.
“It’s a bit like that, only with 100 times more pressure.”
Wright has had a difficult 2023, after finishing bottom of the Premier League and struggling with illness in his family.
“Everyone is now good. My wife Jo is still waiting on her back and seeing how it has recovered from the operation, but she seems better and was out gardening last week, so it’s okay.
“Lots of people just see you guys in the public eye and don’t realise something happened at home. It’s difficult as a sportsman at times.
“It is very tough. A lot of people don’t realise, and not just myself, other dart players as well, have problems and it affects their games.
“Look at Adrian Lewis coming off the Tour. Double World Champion and he is quality. You are thinking why? I had a sit down with him last year and he told me he wasn’t going to play for a while and it is down to personal reasons.
“It’s very difficult. You try and not let it get to you. You think it is alright and then you are up their stage all you are thinking is in the back in your head.
“You try to get rid of it and you can’t. Then you are just making excuses for why you are playing c**p. It is tough. You want to perform well for your fans.
“But I have to say that the people this year have been so nice to me in the streets. When they want a photo and stop you, it’s like, keep your head up, you’ll be back and that sort of comment.
“It’s really nice of people to do that. It really gives you a lift and I appreciate that.
But he thinks the tide turning is coming for himself and that he is just making silly mistakes in his opinion.
“It looks like things are turning and, hopefully, my game will start turning.
“It’s not far away. I am just making silly mistakes and you get punished for that these days in darts.
“I shouldn’t be doing silly things in games, but sometimes it's just because your mind is not on it properly.”
Confident of World Cup glory
But he is confident of World Cup of Darts glory with Gary Anderson who he heaped praise on.
“We can do it. 105 years? Easy!
“I think he’s only back to prove people wrong! He wants to win another World Cup, I know that.
“He also wants to win another World Championships. Then he might call it a day, I don’t know.
“He’s too good not to play the game."
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- With the general noise / buzz coming from the crowd can a player seriously believe he can hear darts rattling in the other players hand?Mysstree23-11-2024
- Oh, dear... how will we cope now?MrYnyslas197122-11-2024
- They really are going through an insipid spell - at present.MrYnyslas197122-11-2024
- Well done Mike – good to move on and look to the future. With his talent, and increasing confidence on stage, he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the month ahead.
UndartedWaters22-11-2024 - It's called talent and good on him.medinabello21-11-2024