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Michael van Gerwen reveals he would BACK decision to move the World Darts Championship from Ally Pally to Saudi Arabia
Darts icon Michael Van Gerwen has revealed that he is in favor of the Darts World Championship moving from its long-time home at Ally Pally to Saudi Arabia.
With a recent boom in sporting events in the Gulf State, former PDC president Barry Hearn previously suggested that darts should make their way to the Middle East. As LIV Golf, the Spanish Super Cup, and boxing matches find success in the kingdom, the darts community has split over following suit.
Speaking to DailyMail.com on Thursday, Mighty Mike revealed that taking the sport to Saudi Arabia may prove beneficial.
'[It] will be great, I think,' he said. 'They wanna make sports big in that country. You saw the big boxing games there, the football there. For me, I don't mind where I play. I will be competing, and that's how it is.'
While speaking about the sport's growth, the Dutchman praised 17-year-old star Luke Littler and how he's helped expand the darts audience. Littler launched into stardom earlier this year and is 2-2 with Van Gerwen so far in the Darts Premier League.
Michael Van Gerwen said he's not opposed to the World Darts Championship moving to Saudi
Van Gerwen also praised 17-year-old darts star Luke Littler for helping grow the sport globally
'I was the same age as him [when I started], my problem was in my time we didn't have social media,' Van Gerwen quipped. 'We only had MSN.'
'I'm a bit older - I could be his dad,' he added. 'He's gonna face a lot of new things as well. He has a new girlfriend. He still lives with his mum and dad. He's gonna make steps in his life - that will change his way of thinking. Right now, the only thing he has to care about is darts. For me, the first thing I worry about is my own kids, my wife, and then comes darts.'
After winning the US Masters in 2023 - with an impressive 8-0 finish in the final - Van Gerwen is back in New York to compete in front of an American audience at Madison Square Garden this weekend.
Following a successful run in the tournament last year, he shared his excitement about playing in the historic venue again. Additionally, he praised the PDC for creating a good lineup as the sport takes the Big Apple.
Littler skyrocketed into stardom in 2024 and holds two wins over Ven Gerwen in the PL
Saudi Arabia has found much success hosting big sporting event sin recent years
The kingdom housed boxing matches, LIV Golf, and the Spanish Super Cup
'[I'm] looking forward to it,' he told DailyMail.com. 'The setting is absolutely amazing. The PDC did a great job to bring darts back to the most iconic venue in the world. All the big sports have been there, and you wanna perform there - simple as that.
'The field this year is quite strong, I think - same as the Premier League, of course. The PDC did very well with this lineup, and this country deserves it - they deserve the best. We're playing in the best venue. You wanna compete against the best to make the sport bigger, and that's really important.'
Over his long career, Van Gerwen decorated himself with three World Championships, three World Grand Prix wins, and three Grand Slams. Additionally, he won the Premier League and the Players Championship seven times on top of five Masters victories.
Van Gerwen holds three World Championship and six World Grand Prix victories
Last year, the Dutchman secured an 8-0 final finish to win the US Masters in New York
He also held the No. 1 spot on several occasions between 2014 and 2021 while racking 24 nine-dart finishes in the PDC. Now in his 18th year with the tour, Van Gerwen is admittedly amazed by the sport's growth.
'It took ten years for PDC to get it back off the floor in China,' he said. 'Sometimes things take time. Americans love sports, so you need to respect that.
'I think there's room for improvement [in darts] here in this big country. I think there's a lot of good darts players coming from here, but it's not easy to be a professional.'
'I've been in the PDC for 18 years - it's quite a long time. I've been everywhere. I've been to all the top places, the nice places, the best places when you didn't have a lot of money, when you had to book not the best hotels. Now we're in New York. That's how quick darts can grow. And I think the people behind [the scenes], the PDC, and Matchroom did a phenomenal job.'