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CALENDAR |
Aug, 1997
Effort to have Darts declared an Official Sport continues!
In July 1995 the British Darts Organisation application to the United Kingdom Sports Council was turned down yet again on the grounds that insufficient physical effort was involved during the activity.
As a Players Association we found this decision most difficult to come to terms with taking into fact that our Members in the Netherlands, Australia Denmark and other countries found themselves classed as Sportsmen and Sportswomen because of recognition by their Governments yet our Members in Great Britain could not look upon themselves in the same light.
Since then two years have elapsed with constant pressure by the BDO and the IDPA for this decision to be reversed. The media have covered the subject at some length, unfortunatly not all in a positive vein. The matter has been raised in the UK Parliament where during debate a number of our Members were named as being British successes for our sport not just in the UK but worldwide. The subject was also raised that darts should be considered for the Olympics and this is now an ongoing project.
Hopes were raised with a change of Government when the new Minister of Sport Mr. Tony Banks, one of the politicians who had spoke in favour of recognition re-itereated his aim to see darts in the UK recognised as a sport and for our participation in the Olympics.
However just a few weeks ago a further application was turned down. It was an amazing decision. The criteria laid down by the Sports Council for recognition was met in every aspect, all eleven required points were answered in depth by Robert Holmes the Public Relations Executive of the BDO and yet the application was turned down without sufficent answers of why.
It is estimated that some seven million people in Great Britain play darts, some 50 million worldwide some are seen as Sportsmen and Sportswomen those in the UK are not. It cannot be right, how can some people playing the same sport be classed one way and others another.
We fight on and our first step is in presenting darts to the seat of the British Parliament, the House of Commons with a Exhibition scheduled for this coming October. We will keep readers of CyberDarts up to date with any developments.
Martin Fitzmaurice,
Chief Executive,INTERNATIONAL DART PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
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