Darts, pool and the curse of the bottle . . .

Mbongeni Ncube
DARTS and pool share the same stereotype- associated with alcohol and drunken behaviour because of the place where the sporting disciplines are usually played, but how does someone aim his target if they are tipsy?

It is usually said that one can take darts out of the pub but you cana��t take the pub out of darts. The Bulawayo Metropolitan Darts Association (BMDA) chairman Ndumiso Shuma is, however, of the view that the sport is not alcohol-inspired.

a�?Darts are viewed as an alcohol-driven sport because we usually play it at bars and pubs but if one is under the influence of alcohol, how can they aim accurately?a�? asked Shuma during the all-sport stakeholders meeting held by the Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane in Bulawayo last week.

He added that they were faced with a difficult situation where they try to dissociate the sport from alcohol but their liquor sponsors threaten to pull out as their products would no longer be advertised.

a�?This perception may cause parents to discourage their children from partaking in the sport,a�? said Shuma.

The Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane said that Darts and Pool share the same perception but there was nothing wrong with taking the games to church and schools.

He added that there was a need to spread the game by engaging the National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) and National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH).