Getting past the first round of a tournament doesn’t usually bring much recognition for a competitor, but for 40-year-old Nitin Kumar, his first win at the recent World Darts Championship in Alexandra Palace, London, was historic. Upsetting Dutchman Richard Veenstra, Kumar became the first Indian to win a match at a dart world championship.
Nicknamed “The Royal Bengal,” Kumar was thrilled about his win and the prospect of inspiring other Indians to take up the sport.
“I’ve opened the floodgates to a billion of them,” he told Sky Sports. “I’m sorry, in ten years down the line if you have eight people in the world championship walking on to Bollywood music, don’t blame me, it’s happening!” Kumar, who was making his fifth appearance at the world championships, is based in Dubai, where he plays in leagues and tournaments. “Three or four days a week, you’re playing darts,” he said. “You’re supposed to go there, work and save money — you can’t. You’re just playing darts all the time.”
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge. [Comments? Contributions? Please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips, and more.]