HUMPHRIES BACKS DARTS TO BE INCLUDED AT OLYMPIC GAMES

LUKE HUMPHRIES backed calls for darts to finally take its place on the Olympic stage. 

Darts has never been an Olympic sport since the inaugural competition in 1896. 

World No. 1 Humphries would love to see the flying tungsten feature at the global tournament — but admits hurdles remain for the dream to become a reality. 

He said: “I would love to see it in the Olympics — I don’t care if I’m not a part of it, I would just love to see it.  

“But do I think it will happen? Probably not in the next five to 10 years. I don’t think there’s enough traction around it, I’m not sure if it’s being pushed.” 

Reigning world champion Luke Littler revealed he would be interested in adding a gold medal to his growing trophy cabinet.  

He added: “Yeah, there was a lot of talk last year on the Olympics but, for myself, I don’t have a clue. 

“I’m not really an Olympic person, I don’t sit there and watch it. I don’t know if it would be good or bad for darts. But would I be interested in a gold medal? Maybe… maybe.” 

Former Lakeside finalist Bobby George wants to see his beloved arrows in the Olympics – and he insists it’s not a far-fletched vision.   

George will round up support from players and MPs to toe the line. 

The 79-year-old believes players should have a chance to compete for Olympic gold at Brisbane in 2032 because darts has become a truly global sport. 

The 2026 Professional Darts Corporation World Championship at Alexandra Palace will have an expanded 128-player field including 48 international qualifiers. 

‘Bobby Dazzler’ declared: “I’ve always thought it would be nice to see darts in the Olympics one day – it’s not much different to archery, is it?  

“To me, there’s no question that it should be trialed and would reward all the hours of dedication and practice the top players put into it. 

“My wife Marie and I spent a few evenings in front of the television watching the Olympic Games from Paris and couldn’t believe what we were seeing.  

“Rock climbing and breakdancing being recognised as official sports? What’s that all about? 

“Back in the 1990s I tried to get darts recognised as an official sport.  

“You’ve all heard the arguments over the bar in your local about whether it’s a pub game or a sport, so I decided it was time to put an end to the bickering. 

“I happened to meet up with the MP Bob Russell – now Sir Bob – at some charity events in Colchester and he was happy to offer some help.  

“We needed to put on a darts demonstration inside the House of Commons to get things moving. 

“The prestigious Terrace marquee was booked to stage the event and we invited as many MPs as we could to try and earn their support.  

“I tried to get things moving but everything ground to a halt because Parliament was about to be closed for a period due to refurbishment. 

“But Bob Russell did have another go a couple of years later and managed to get darts acknowledged as a sport by the UK Sports Council.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.