Dreaching for the bottle is routine. Almost every one of the eight darts players who take the stage in the Frankfurt Ball Sports Hall this Saturday evening first takes a strong sip from the bottle that is waiting for them. Contrary to the image of bar sports, there is water in it. “I’m not allowed to talk about what goes on behind the scenes,” says Oliver Müller.
The Groß-Umstadt native is the amateur among the professionals at the fourth Darts Open, which is being held under the brand of a beer manufacturer in Frankfurt. His wish to win a game against one of the well-known competitors will not come true. After the group phase with duels against the eventual winner and five-time world champion Raymond “Barney” van Barneveld, senior title holder and “Highlander” John Henderson and the “German Giant” Gabriel Clemens, the local hero will feel like a game with at least five legs won Throwing darts means saying goodbye. Nevertheless, he is celebrated like a hero by friends and club members who are among the almost 5,000 spectators in the arena.
The “Oh, how beautiful that is” that accompanies Müller’s success is always heard in the back stand in order to work his way forward from there. Beyond the beer tent sets, where the mostly costumed visitors sit and celebrate, to the biggest darts fans who, like at pop concerts, are right at the front adoring their favorites. From this group, a smartphone flies towards one of the protagonists so that he can catch it and send it back with a new selfie. There is no fear of contact.
World champion Luke Humphries takes defeat in stride
The reigning world champion “Cool Hand” Luke Humphries also enjoys the encouragement on the short way to his performances, smiling, clapping hands and gesturing to the audience to get even louder. “It is important to return to the fans now after my title at the beginning of the year,” he previously explained. The 29-year-old Briton will advance to the final with a clean slate, but will lose 3-1 to the previously unbeaten 56-year-old Dutchman van Barneveld because, as he says, he “misses a few good shots”.
The world number one takes the show defeat in stride. “It was my goal to become world champion. Everything that comes now is an encore,” says Humphries. With his career he represents the change he sees in darts. During the first Corona lockdown, he, like many of his fellow competitors, lost almost 30 kilograms in order not to get tired on long days of competition. “I train more and work on my mental and physical physique,” explains Humphries. “If you want to be top, that's important.” Even if the players get hungry late at night and then like to eat unhealthy foods.
“Darts has developed into a serious and established sport,” says the beaten favorite. The younger generation is setting an example. The guests who follow the competition live should simply have fun. In the ball sports hall they are encouraged to do so long before the first dart is thrown. The Galaxy football cheerleaders and a cheerleader dance and sing Ballermann hits and their own darts songs with them.
Saving pallets with beer
Ten days after Ash Wednesday there is a carnival atmosphere again. According to a public survey, many people have at least one beer before 6 p.m. At the beverage counters, economy pallets with six cups each are handed out like on an assembly line. “The barrel is empty,” they say “often,” as one employee carefully puts it. Volume discounts on hazelnut shots are advertised under the apt name “Gude Nacht”.
The cleaning teams are out and about more and more often to wipe away puddles. When it gets down to business in the semi-finals, only a few dare to climb onto the narrow benches to cheer on the professionals. Many people are already swaying precariously, others have fallen to the side while dozing, and the colorful plastic seats in the arena have noticeably emptied. The man with perhaps the funniest of the creative headgear has also disappeared. The preened chicken on his head, whose legs can twitch at different speeds, is missing from the final applause.
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