Participants in the 2023-24 Paddy Power-sponsored PDC World Darts Championship will compete on brand new dartboards. As revealed by the gambling company, Welsh manufacturer, and official equipment provider for the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), Winmau is behind the boards’ production, and the matchboards will feature a green treble 20 bed in contrast to the usual red.
The Irish bookmaker announced in July that the gambling company would be the sponsor of this year’s PDC darts tournament, and it will be held at London’s Alexandra Palace and begin on December 15th, 2023, with its end date being set for January 3rd, 2024. The Ally Pally, as the venue is often referred to, will be decked out in Paddy Power’s iconic green throughout the championship. What is more, spectators will be treated to Paddy Power merchandise, which will also feature the green colour palette the brand is known for.
Paddy Power expressed its goal of improving the already prestigious event and that the hope is that the bookmaker will be successful in making the 2023-24 tournament “just that 1% better” than last year’s championship. The significance of introducing a colour so closely tied to Ireland to the treble 20 section of the matchboard, a staple of British pub culture, was not understated either.
The World Darts Championship takes place on an annual basis and is organised by the PDC. The tournament’s inaugural season was held three decades ago, in 1994. It has since been among the most prestigious competitive darts events on a global scale, and the green treble 20 bed marks a significant change in the tournament’s history.
The Change Will Be of Help to Players
Paddy Power cited research into how humans perceive colour as one of its main reasons for introducing the green treble 20 bed. According to the data, the colour that lies in the middle of humans’ visual spectrum is green. Red and blue, the former of which is traditionally used for the treble 20 position on the dartboard, are more difficult to perceive due to how they sit at the ends of the spectrum. The company also took into consideration how this would affect players’ eyesight in terms of health, as green has been found to reduce eye fatigue. The green colour will also assist players in having a better and more accurate perception of the treble 20.
Matthew Porter, chief executive of the PDC, said that the organisation has always been adamant about evolution being something it strives for. He continued, stating that the corporation “owes” its players the introduction of such a change, given how it is said to be an improvement that will better darts’ standard and quality as a sport.
Porter also shared that the event organisers hoped that this year will see 1,000 180s being scored during the tournament, in contrast to last year’s record of 901. A 180 score is achieved by striking three darts into the treble 20 position. He expressed the company’s excitement surrounding the treble 20 change and hoped that players felt the same.
- Author
Daniel Williams
