Crackling excitement on stage, beer-filled fans and a never-ending party: from Friday, the Darts World Cup in London will once again captivate millions of fans worldwide. Hardly anyone knows that the sport also has dark sides.
Because the careless use of alcohol apparently continues among the professionals in darts. And not just for fun: in 2016, the Dutch ex-professional Co Stompé advocates a ban on alcohol in darts because it is nothing other than doping. Darts players can suppress their tension with alcohol, said Stompé. He knows from his own experience that drinking beer before a game definitely improves performance.
Alcohol for performance increase
The German Darts Association (DDV) is now drawing conclusions: there will be alcohol controls from the coming season, the association explained at the request of the ARD doping editorial team. “The most realistic scenario at the moment is a blood alcohol limit with controls that will be gradually lowered”, it continues. In its own opinion, the DDV acts primarily with this “against the background of the protection of minors”. But alcohol can make it easier for players to deal with the pressure of a tournament, “Therefore, the DDV certainly sees a certain performance-enhancing potential at this point”.
German darts professional: “Feels like 70 percent alcoholic”
An interview by German darts player Jochen Graudenz with the specialist portal “dartsnews.de” caused a stir in the scene. Graudenz claims that alcohol is widespread among the players during darts games, even among the top stars “It feels like 70 percent are alcoholics”.
German darts player Sascha Stein also admits to drinking alcohol during games. In 2015, Stein started at the World Cup in London and won one game. For example, he also drank a beer right before his performance at Alexandra Palace. Alcohol is definitely drunk in darts, says Stein, but it’s not a problem.
Alcohol is not on the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA’s banned list. In darts it seems to be more common as a sedative than in almost any other sport.
Doping problem in darts?
Doping is also an issue in darts, says doping researcher Mario Thevis: “In percentage terms, there seem to be more positive findings in darts than in other sports”said the head of the renowned doping control laboratory in Cologne. Compared to other sports, darts tends to be in the upper range of suspected doping cases.
The general success rate for doping controls in all sports is in the per mille range. In darts alone, the rate in 2017 was around 16.7 percent. And the two best people at the German championships were also hit. The winner Tobias Seibert and the runner-up Holger Frommann – both tested positive, disqualified and banned for two years.
Methylphenidate and amphetamine were found at that time. These substances “are certainly among the preparations that can be classified as performance-enhancing in darts. These are stimulants that can improve and prolong the ability to concentrate”said doping expert Thevis.
Newer Suspected doping case with the Germans Championships 2023
And according to information from the ARD doping editorial team, there is a new suspected case of doping in German darts. There was another suspicious doping test at the German Masters this year. This was confirmed by the National Anti-Doping Agency.
And yet comparatively few doping tests are carried out in darts. Training controls practically do not take place at all. This is shown by the statistics from the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA.
Darts has some catching up to do here, says doping researcher Thevis. “In my opinion, every sport that has professional structures also needs a balanced doping control system. And that means that doping controls should also be carried out regularly.”
No Doping control stations – no tests
In the years 2020 to 2022 there were no doping controls at all in German darts. When asked, the German Dart Association explains that gaming operations came to an almost complete standstill during the Corona years. But apparently there was a lack of the necessary infrastructure in some places.
NADA announced that it tried to carry out controls at darts competitions in Germany in 2022. But this was not possible because there were no appropriate control stations on site. Improvements have now been made so that there are controls again, according to NADA.
At the Darts World Cup from December 15th Professional Darts Cooperation PDC responsible as the organizing world association. The association leaves all questions from the ARD doping editorial team about the doping control program unanswered.
Reluctance among German World Cup participants Clemens, Schindler and Hempel
This year too, the German players Gabriel Clemens, Martin Schindler and Florian Hempel will be at the World Cup in London. They react cautiously to ARD inquiries about doping tests.
Clemens management announced that he had already been tested once during a tournament. Whether this is also the case with Martin Schindler remains unanswered by his management. Florian Hempel did not want to comment on the topic.
“I definitely wasn’t tested”says German darts player Sascha Stein about his appearance at the World Cup in London 2015. In fact, he has never had a doping test in his entire career.