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Hitting the bull's-eye
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Despite having a world class player in town, darts is yet to catch up in the State, writes Rayan Rozario
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BANG ON TARGET Nitin Kumar PHOTO K. ANANTHAN
Darts, one of the oldest English pub games, is a hit the world over. Commonly known as Arrows, it has its roots in archery.
Sadly, the sport has not charmed many in Tamil Nadu like it has elsewhere in the country.
"There are simply no takers," says 20-year-old Nitin Kumar, a final year BCA student of PSG College of Arts and Science and a nationally ranked player.
A registered player of the Dubai Darts League till 2004, Nitin was ranked ninth in the world in 2003, the youngest player to achieve that feat.
As a child, Nitin used to play with plastic darts at home. As he grew up, he took to tennis for a while only to return to his first love.
Seeing his interest, his father, M.N. Nandakumar, took him to the clubs. He cashed in on the opportunity, sharpened his skills, and soon started to play in the darts league in Dubai.
Nitin's first major success came in 2000. The 14-year-old stunned a packed hall, defeating favourite Dam to win the popular Comfort Inn darts tournament.
In the best of three games of 501, played on straight start, double finish and knockout format, the Class X student of the Emirates English School, outwitted his experienced opponent.
He had scores of 100 on many an occasion and hit 140 thrice, just missing perfect scores of 180. What impressed the spectators was his elegant throwing style and composure. Now, Nitin finds it difficult to practise alone in his hostel.
Though he has done his bit to spread interest in darts among friends, who have all picked up the basics, he yearns to achieve something big. A couple of months ago, he won the men's singles' title in the fourth FA Andhra Pradesh State Championship in Hyderabad.
Why Andhra Pradesh? "I would love to play for Tamil Nadu; but it's quite impossible as we do not have players. Earlier, Tamil Nadu used to have a darts association," says Nitin.
Despite the hiccups, Nitin practises hard on two aspects of the game. First, to win the toss (traditionally decided by throwing the dart closest to the bull's eye).
This helps in gaining a three-darts advantage over the opponent. Secondly, he wishes to finish the game with the minimum number of darts. "A 301-game must be finished in nine darts and I would like to do that," he adds. Nitin, who represents his college in basketball, spends a lot of time watching darts' videos.
Bright future
Nandakumar, a quality player himself, feels the future is bright for darts in Tamil Nadu. "I want players from my State to develop interest in this. No big investment and space is required. All a player needs is good aim, mental strength and concentration. There is no age restriction. Even an 80-year-old can play as long as he or she is physically fit and has good eyesight."
He says darts is a mathematical game. "Throwing darts is pretty easy but calculating isn't. One needs to be fast and accurate. Introducing this game in schools and colleges will help children sharpen their mathematical skills."
Nandakumar also wants to generate interest among the public in this sport, provided he finds an associate. "It is not a difficult game to play; just like throwing stones at a mango tree. Women and children play the game in Dubai, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. My wife, Sharada, plays it, and so does my younger son, Navin Kumar, who is the top-ranked under-18 player in the country."
The father and son duo is also getting ready to represent India in the Asia-Pacific Championship in Malaysia this month.
It's a game for all, so let's bring it to light, he concludes.
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