Birds of paradise, naughty boys and entertainers: these characters breathe life into darts

What Ricky Evans (33) shows on stage is pure entertainment. Sometimes the Englishman rolls his eyes after a bad shot (throwing the three darts), sometimes he makes faces at the audience. During the run-up to his second round match at the World Cup against Nathan Aspinall (3-0 win), the Englishman wore a chicken hat and bright glasses. Bellmont: “You just know what you can look forward to with him.” Evans is nicknamed “Rapid” because of his extremely fast throwing style. He holds the world record for the fastest 180, which he threw in 2.16 seconds in 2017.

Peter Wright (53) would also classify Bellmont from Zug in the entertainers category. With his walk-on song “Don’t Stop the Party” by Pitbull, he gets the fans dancing – and then starts dancing himself. If you have a catchy entry song, you generally have the audience on your side, Bellmont says. The same goes for Joe Cullen (“Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis), Vincent van der Voort (“Give it up” by Kool an the Sunshine Band) and Raymond van Barneveld (“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor ) .

There is one name in particular: Peter Wright. The stunning Scotsman with the mohawk hairdo and the snake’s head on his side – hence his nickname ‘Snakebite’ – has been playing on the PDC tour for almost 20 years. But the 53-year-old doesn’t always look like that, says Bellmont: “He doesn’t always wear his hair like that at the Players Championships.” But you don’t see Wright at the World Cup anymore, he came out on top in his first round.

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Someone who, like Wright, likes colorful things – and has already left the tournament – ​​is Stowe Buntz (44). He too is a bird of paradise, just like the Scot, says Bellmont. But: “He didn’t imitate anything, that’s just how he is.”

Many names come to mind for Bellmont: last year’s semi-finalist Dimitri van den Bergh (29, failed in the second round) is “always very well positioned”, Max Hopp (27), who works as a Sport1 expert at the World Cup, “is very communicative”. Jelle Klaasen (39) also “always has a smile on her face”. This is just a selection, there are many more from whom he can always get tips and who have become popular in the scene.

He is the Nick Kyrgios of darts: Gerwyn Price (38). With his cheering poses, statements and other actions he always creates a topic of conversation. This happened at the last World Cup when he walked onto the stage wearing headphones. Price is not particularly popular with the public. However, his only appearance so far at this year’s World Cup was without any excitement; he clearly won 3-0 against Connor Scutt. Yet the Welshman is often called ‘the most hated darts professional in the world’. But Bellmont believes: “He kind of needs that.” Otherwise, there aren’t many players who are fundamentally unpopular, Bellmont says.

“Teasing and teasing – that’s common,” says Belli. There is no such thing as a saying, because most people have a funny streak. For example, the two Englishmen Glen Durant (53, 2020 World Cup quarter-finalist) and Matthew Edgar (37) made fun of each other. “But it is never meant in a bad way, it just creates a relaxed atmosphere.”

Stefan Bellmont tells a funny anecdote about Gary Anderson (52, in the third round), the 2015 and 2016 world champion: “If you had to be there three hours before the start of the tournament, he always came and had his three or four drank a few espressos and then went on stage.” The Scot seems to have no habits or routines. For Mervyn King (57), the opposite was the case: “He had to be there as early as possible and plan everything well.”