Profession darts is one of the many sports adapting to the lockdown with the PDC Home Tour of live streamed matches from players’ homes getting underway this evening.
However, one of the favourites for the tournament has been eliminated before the first round by a foe far more dangerous than Mighty Michael van Gerwen… slow Wi-Fi.
Yes, The Flying Scotsman Gary Anderson has withdrawn from the 32-night darting extravaganza because his home broadband is absolutely rubbish.
The former back-to-back champion of the world realised he would be unable to take part in the event, which requires video calling, when performing online speed tests.
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In a tweet, Anderson posted a screenshot of the speed test revealing a paltry 4.61Mbps download speed and a 0.97Mbps upload speed, making the likelihood of a reliable connection very slim indeed. Massive shoutout to the reply below too.
— Greg Van Volsem (@gregvanv1) April 17, 2020
“No excuses can only get 6/7 here, truespeed won’t come out a couple of miles down the road as not enough houses!” he wrote in a subsequent tweet.
Despite the withdrawal of the loveable Scot, the Home Tour hits the oche on Friday evening, streaming live on PDC.tv. All registered users will be able to watch the games live for free, regardless of whether they have a subscription with the platform. The action stars at 19:30 UK time each day, from this Friday April 17.
Unfortunately, another of the world’s top dartists, “Superchin” Daryl Gurney won’t be able to play either, because a limited home set-up wouldn’t pass muster.
He told the BBC: “My dartboard is on the back of my bedroom door. I stand in the hall at the top of the stairs and I have one foot in the bathroom and one in the hall so if someone needs to go the bathroom I can’t throw. There is definitely nothing fancy about it.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
