Gibraltar excluded from World Cup of Darts

There was much criticism this week from the Gibraltar darts community over the exclusion of Gibraltar from this year’s World Cup of Darts after the organisers announced the pairings for this year.

Changes in the rules on eligibility, which are alleged not to have been passed on to the local association, have seen Gibraltar, for the first time, excluded from the event.

One of the main features of the local darts calendar, following the efforts of the likes of Craig Galliano, Justin Hewitt and Dyson Parody, which has seen Gibraltar well represented in the worldwide broadcast event, the exclusion of Gibraltar has raised many eyebrows at a time when Gibraltar has grown in recognition as hosts of the Junior Darts World Championships.

Reacting to the announcement of the World Cup of Darts pairings, in which it was revealed for the first time that Gibraltar was not taking part this year, Albert Hewitt, father of local darts talent Justin Hewitt, commented:

“So disappointed that Gibraltar hasn't been included in the line-up for the World Cup of Darts this year.

“We have played in this event every single year since it started in 2010.

“In the last three years, Justin Hewitt and Craig Galliano did extremely well, beating Guyana, Spain and China.

“Last year they just missed out on getting through to the group stage, finishing with the same number of points and leg difference as the Republic of Ireland and China.

“In 2015, Dyson Parody and Manolo Vilerio also had a fantastic win against Italy.

“Players like Dylan Duo, Dyson Parody, Justin Hewitt, Craig Galliano, Sean Negrette, Antony Lopez, Manolo Vilerio and Justin Broton have had the chance to represent our country at the World Cup of Darts with pride and honour, watched by millions on Sky Sports.

“We also lost, some years back, the prestigious Professional Darts Corporation Gibraltar Darts Trophy, where our local darts players had the chance to play against the best professional darts players in the world.

“In the last few years I have witnessed how Team Gibraltar has been a crowd favourite at the World Cup of Darts.

“Let us not forget that some of our Gibraltar darts players have achieved some of the greatest achievements by any Gibraltarian sportsman ever in international professional events.

“We need the Minister for Sport, Leslie Bruzon, and a strong delegation from the Gibraltar Darts Association to meet with the Professional Darts Corporation to try to get back what we have lost.

“Now is the time to be united and not divided.

“It’s a GSLP manifesto commitment to help get back the PDC Gibraltar Darts Trophy.

“We need to move fast.

“Let us be honest: without these two PDC events, Gibraltar darts will remain stuck and not progress.

“We need to fight so that young players like Nico Bado, Ethan Pulham and other young Gibraltar darts players have the chance one day to play in the PDC World Cup of Darts and the PDC Gibraltar Darts Trophy.

“Having the WDF Gibraltar Darts Open here in Gibraltar in July is good, but nothing compared to the PDC World Cup of Darts and the PDC Gibraltar Darts Trophy.

“I am prepared to be part of the GDA and Government delegation to fight to get back what Gibraltar 🇬🇮 needs and deserves.

“I am 100 percent sure that we have the full support of the whole of Gibraltar towards all this.”

Among the policy changes on eligibility is a criterion requiring players to be participating within the professional school tours to be considered. It is understood that the local darts community were not informed of this when the regulations were changed.

The World Cup of Darts takes place from June 11, coinciding with the football World Cup.