Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphreys discuss adding darts to the Olympics
The 2024 Olympics are scheduled to be held in Paris later this summer. Darts is still not part of the Olympic programme, but isn’t it time to add this sport to the future edition of the biggest sports festival?
During the recent Polish Darts Championships, Michael van Gerwen was asked about this possibility. The three replied: “I can imagine it happening because I see other sports that are not professional or not as big as us. But it’s not up to me. It’s up to the Olympic Committee, Matchroom Sports and the Games Development Committee…” World Champion Time. “It’s out of my control. I wish I could influence him, but unfortunately I can’t.”
If darts were part of the current Olympic cycle, world champion and current world number one Luke Humphries would be one of the front-runners to add an Olympic gold medal to his growing list of achievements. “I really think we have to be honest,” Humphreys answered the question. During the press conference in Poland Darts Masters. “Right now in the UK, it’s probably the second or third most popular sport, and it’s growing and growing in many other countries. So, yeah, it’s probably the biggest sport that’s not in the Olympics, and maybe it should be.”
Humphries and Van Gerwen aren’t the only ones who want to compete for Olympic gold one day. Former world champion Michael Smith previously said he would like to see the sport added to future Olympic Games. He previously said: “Yes, of course I want to! I’ve started talking about it more in the last year and I would love to get it out there.” Fox Sports. “Darts is not just a sport that you can learn and practice. There is race walking (in the Olympics). Everyone can run. This is something everyone can do. I can swim 50 meters in 70 seconds. Not everyone can do that. This is exercise.”
Smith continued: “We have a bigger attendance than football and football at the Olympics. Our attendance numbers are even higher than that – and this will generate a lot of money for the Olympic Committee. I think it will be a great addition.” “I really think this has to happen. If we keep pushing, maybe it will happen. There are different sports coming up now and hopefully we can get there one day.”