Darts veteran criticizes the new generation of players: what is the problem.

Criticism of the new generation of darts players

According to The Sun: Darts star James Wade expressed his dissatisfaction with the new generation of players, saying that the sport has become 'poorer' due to 'robotic' personalities. Young star Luke Littler, 18, has gained popularity thanks to his impressive performances and is considered the future of darts.

Littler is seen as a potential record breaker, capable of surpassing Phil 'The Power' Taylor's achievements, who won 16 world championships. Furthermore, he has brought a new army of fans to the sport, competing against stars like Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries at a young age.

James Wade's opinion

However, Wade, who has 11 PDC titles in his career, believes that the sport lacks vibrant 'characters'. In a conversation with Weekly Dartscast, he noted:

“When I started or halfway through my career, there were Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, Wayne Mardle. There were a whole range of individual characters with them. Now it feels like that's not there. They all seem the same to me, and their behavior is very robotic.”

Wade adds that this reflects a broader trend in the modern world:

“It [the sport] has become poorer because of that. But it also reflects how the world is now - very smooth and homogeneous.”

This year has been successful for Wade, as only Littler has earned more prize money than him. Although Wade lost two finals to the young player - UK Open and World Matchplay - he is still satisfied with his performances:

“I've had a great year. I believe I am the second-best player this year in terms of earnings and ranking.”

Critique from Gary Anderson

Not only Wade expresses dissatisfaction with the modern stars. Legendary Gary Anderson, a two-time world champion, characterized the young players as 'boring' and noted that they are 'too busy with their phones'. He shared his thoughts:

“The real days when darts players were true. Me, Lewis, Taylor, Kevin [Painter] - we always sat and laughed, while now the young ones don’t interact.”

Anderson emphasized that young players need to understand that it is their job, but it is important to realize that despite their talent, they have not yet reached the heights of their predecessors:

“They are young, but not as good as they may think.”

These comments highlight the concerns of darts veterans regarding the new generation of players, who, in their opinion, not only read less expressively, but also do not bring the color to the game that existed before. Given these remarks, the future of darts may depend on how well young players can adapt and inject emotion into their performances, for which their older colleagues receive praise.