The National Darts Team: (from left) Nasir Jantan, Tenooth Sivalingam, Anbaarajan Retinasamy, and Timothy Ryan Theseira.
PTEALING JAYA: The national darts squad has been finalised and the team is ready for action. And the four players in the team aim to go all out and have an impressive run in the WDF World Cup, which will begin on Sept 22 in Seoul.
The Malaysian Darts Association on Friday night announced the national team for the prestigious event, and the four players who made the cut from the training squad are Nasir Jantan, Tenooth Sivalingam, Anbaarajan Retinasamy, and Timothy Ryan Theseira.
The MDA on Friday also announced that Pathmanathan Chandraraja is the team manager, while Kalaiarasan Nadarajan will also be going with the squad as the appointed assistant manager.
MDA Deputy President Akbar Shah Jalal.MDA Deputy President Akbar Shah Jalal said he is very happy with the players selected for the tournament as they have been undergoing intensive training since late July.
"I'm very happy with the commitment shown by the players. They also have to go to work every day, but despite all that, they are still here training at our camp in Petaling Jaya every night without fail. And they train almost six hours or more every day," said Akbar.
"I'm very proud of all the boys, including those in the training squad. The difference between the six players in the training is minimal, but only four can go to Seoul, and we have selected the best according to their current form and also their performance in local tournaments, including the recent Malaysian Open tournament, which was held in KL."
Besides the four selected darters for the national side, Mamat Kilau and Norisham Sebi, were also part of the training squad.
"Both the other two players are our reserves. The four players selected will be in intensive training, but if any injuries should take place, then we can call upon the reserves," added Akbar.
The MDA deputy president also added that the association would like to thank the team's main sponsor, Ultifresh Activewear, for its participation.
"It is also important for the team to do well in Seoul because the association is pushing hard to be a top-recognised sport. We thank Ultifresh Activewear for their big help, but only when the national team does well in any sport, only then can we hope for more support from the private sector and sponsors," added Akbar.
The bar room game of darts is booming in Malaysia nowadays, and the national team has also notched up an impressive achievement by being invited to the WDF World Cup, which will begin on Sept 22 in Seoul. And these days, many darts tournaments are being held all over the country, and the sport is even booming in Sabah and Sarawak. So much so, the Youth and Sports Ministry has also added darts as part of its sports diary.
At the WDF World Cup, they will be playing among the very best darters that are playing in the top leagues across the world.
For the record, the WDF World Cup is a darts tournament organised by the World Darts Federation and held biennially since 1977. It has featured men's events since the beginning, while women's events were added in 1983 and youth events in 1999. The most recent tournament, the 2023 World Cup, was held in Esbjerg, Denmark.
"This is indeed an honour for Malaysia. The last time we took part was 2011," said team manager Pathmanathan, who is also the Malaysian Darts Association treasurer and the Selangor Darts Association president.
"We are proud that Malaysia is back in this elite tournament after 14 years. The Malaysian national team promises to go all out to have a good, solid run in this tournament. The final team of four players are among the very best darters in Malaysia."
"The team is shaping up well, and we have set a target of finishing among the top 16-placed teams. Making the last eight will be an incredible achievement."
Among the favourites for the tournament are England, while host South Korea and Japan will lead Asia's charge. England has already announced that Scott Mitchell, the former World Champion and previous PDC Tour Card holder, will anchor his country as the captain in South Korea, bringing his valuable experience to the side.
Besides South Korea and Japan, the Asia-Pacific region dart members comprise the following: Brunei, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Macau, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, and Thailand. Besides Malaysia, the Philippines will also lead the charge for the South-East Asia region.
"A total of 45 nations have been invited this year. We can be proud that Malaysia is in this group," said Pathmanathan. "Our Malaysian darters will also be taking part in the South Korea Darts Championships after the World Cup. This Korean meet will be held immediately after the World Cup."
For further inquiries on the national team, interested sponsors can contact Pathmanathan at 012 - 3431010 or the Malaysian Darts Association at 03 - 5167 4488.
