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Michael van Gerwen won the PDC World Darts Championship on Tuesday. firo Sportphoto/Christopher NEUNDORF
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'We are a global sport': Hearn says darts can become as big as golf

PDC chairman Barry Hearn said he has plans to expand darts to China, India and North America.

PROMOTER BARRY HEARN believes darts can become a global sport, comparing its potential growth in future years to that of golf.

He was speaking in the wake of Michael van Gerwen’s PDC World Darts Championship victory over Michael Smith, with the Dutchman securing a 7-3 win to earn his third world title last night.

Hearn, who is the current chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation, explained that he is keen to expand the popularity of the sport beyond Europe, where darts maintains a huge following in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands.

“I have a clear, concise plan of where this sport is going and that is globally,” he told the BBC.

O2 Arena Boxing Hearn is the current chairman of the PDC. Steven Paston Steven Paston

“We will see China develop a major darts involvement and there’s a lot of people in China. There’s a lot of money in China.

“We are seeing India, Pakistan, Bangladesh picking up darts. We are not a UK sport, we are a global sport, and as such we are looking at expanding into North America, to South America, we’ve opened a small office in China.

“I don’t see any reason at all why darts shouldn’t be the same size as professional golf.”

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