Nathan Aspinall Questions Crowd at Inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters

Nathan Aspinall says he feels the crowd attending the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters "weren’t all there of their own accord". The two-day event featuring world champion Luke Littler, compatriot Luke Humphries and Dutchman Michael van Gerwen is the first to be held in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has strict no-alcohol regulations. It is part of the World Series of Darts but the tournament is being held at the 1,000-capacity Global Theater, Riyadh. Speaking to YouTube channel Darts Now,, external Aspinall, 34, said "there is definitely a long way to go" before the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and Saudi Arabia could build a long-term partnership. "It's certainly different," he added. "I'm not stupid. I feel like they [the crowd] weren't all there of their own accord, shall we say, and it was quite a small venue. "Everything needs to start somewhere, but as long as people walk away from the week and are like, 'You know what, we really enjoyed the darts', and it gets good coverage." BBC Sport has contacted the PDC for comment. Saudi Arabia has staged many major sports events in recent years, including Formula 1 and golf, and will host the men's football World Cup in 2034. But the regime has been criticised for its record on human rights and environmental impact. "It was a lot better than I thought. There were a lot more people than I expected," said Aspinall. Darts is known for its boisterous crowds but with the Saudi event being free of alcohol, Aspinall said the atmosphere "was different" before adding, "but you know what, I enjoyed it. Whenever I looked out into the crowd, you could actually tell they were watching it".