Barry Hearn has laid down a challenge to female darts players as the PDC looks to grow the game on the back of the first-ever Women’s World Matchplay.
In a ground-breaking first, eight of the best female players in the world played for the Matchplay trophy on the same day as the main final between Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The tournament, which was broadcast by Sky Sports, shone a light on the women’s game, although it remains the PDC’s priority is to have predominantly integrated tournaments.
PDC president Hearn was happy with aspects of the Women’s Matchplay, but wants to see more players enter the Women’s Series, which will be expanded to 24 events next year and have a prize fund of £145,000.
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“We’ll be governed, as we always are, by the financials and the viewing figures, the ratings, the ticket sales,” Hearn told Online Darts TV as he discussed the progress of women’s darts.
“The Matchplay ticked some boxes, ticked it quite strongly in some cases. But now it’s up to the women, now show what you can do.
“How many are going to play in the Women’s Series next year? It needs to be significantly up to justify the investment, it’s as simple as that. It’s nothing to do with women, it’s nothing to do with men, it’s on a case by case, meritocracy basis.”
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Fallon Sherrock won the Women’s Matchplay and is the best-known female player in the game, but Hearn said: “You can’t run an industry on one person, or two people, or three people. I need to see the same demand for places in the Women’s Series as there is for Q School applicants, and things like that.
“I always think you don’t do favours, because favours won’t last, favours have to be repaid. It’s a meritocracy based on what everybody’s putting in, and that's how they’ll be governed.
“I don’t care if they’re black, white, fat, thin, Christian, Muslim – I wonder, can they play? That’s the only thing we ask for. We’re there for everybody but you’ve got to be able to play.”
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