Premier League Darts rolled into Rotterdam on Thursday for night 12 of the 2024 edition of the competition.
Nathan Aspinall won his second night of the campaign, knocking out Peter Wright and Luke Humphries before defeating Michael Smith 6-4 in the final at the Rotterdam Ahoy in the Dutch city.
Afterwards, the Asp put his victory down to his "heavy" throwing of his darts, something which he felt was required due to windy conditions on the stage.
The complaint seems an unusual one for a sport that is played indoors, but Aspinall claimed that his fellow players were in agreement about the conditions in the venue.
Gerwyn Price DEFEATS Rob Cross to leapfrog him in the table 🥶 pic.twitter.com/RrVGIo09kN
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) April 18, 2024
Nathan Aspinall complains about wind at Rotterdam venue
"Maybe I won as I throw heavy darts! Maybe that is the trick. It was tough conditions," said Aspinall.
"The players were moaning a bit but I got on with the game. It was tough. I don’t care, I won two out of two here, I’ll play in the wind all the time.
“It's very windy on stage. Conditions weren’t great. It’s not just Rotterdam. These are big arenas, there is a lot of area, people going in and out back to the bar.
"The doors were shutting. It is windy on that stage. It’s the same for all players. Rotterdam is probably the worst out of the 16 venues. I haven’t played the O2 yet, so I cannot comment on that.
"It is bad but you have to get on with it. Nothing you can do. Not ideal. But who cares? I keep winning in the wind. I might get my own little fan by the side of the stage."
The Asp wins in Rotterdam 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/r3tjf76bAy
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) April 18, 2024
Gerwyn Price in agreement about conditions
Gerwyn Price was another player who spoke out, after he battled through the wind to beat Rob Cross in the quarter-final before losing to Smith in the semi.
"I've been here so many times, and I understand that with the crowd and how big the arena is, but the wind around the place," said the Welshman.
"I probably should have brought some heavier darts then I might have played a little better. The lighter your dart is the harder it is to throw on that stage but I'm glad I got a win."
Nathan Aspinall gets his 2nd nightly win in the Premier League 🏆 pic.twitter.com/WZTkMmvJcq
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) April 18, 2024
A growing problem in darts
Conditions at darts events have been a topic of conversation for some time, with Price in particular being quite vocal on what players have to put up with.
In February, he withdrew from the Players Championship as he felt it was too cold, before complaining on Instagram about the "less than amateur conditions" at the event in Wigan.
Players clearly feel that their game is being affected if conditions aren't right in the venues, and it looks like something the PDC will need to address.
See Also: Wayne Mardle Explains Why Luke Littler Changed How He Thinks About Darts
