Description
Sometimes derided as a game played over a pint in British pubs, darts is a huge deal in the Netherlands. At the Rotterdam Ahoy arena hosting an international darts competiton, orange-clad fans bounce around, chanting the name of their favourite players. The Dutch craze over darts started with Raymond van Barneveld, nicknamed "Barney". A former postman from The Hague, Barney became the first Dutchman to win a darts world championship in 1998, catapulting darts into the Dutch consciousness. "It was new, you know, the English players were not used to get beat by a Dutchman," says the five-time champion. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES