When you say Peter Wright, you mean colorful mohawk. And flashy clothes. And a snake was painted on his head. It is a special phenomenon in the world of darts. Pitbull’s participation song “Don’t stop the party” has been playing at the World Cup for years.
Wright, 53, qualified second in the world’s most important darts tournament and will face Welshman Jim Williams in the second round tonight.
two-time world champion
“It’s impossible to talk without sound, isn’t it,” laughs “Snakebite” on the phone after making a hand sign to show that his computer audio is not working on the video call. She points out that the conversation should be done on the phone by representing the phone with her hand.
PDC media manager Dave Allen passes along Wright’s number. His phone lists him as “Peter Wright World Champion.”
Because that’s what he is: world champion. Even twice.
Wright beat Michael van Gerwen to win the world title for the first time in 2020. Two years later the Scot did it again. Along the way he won the World Matchplay and the Players Championship Finals.
Shortly afterwards, the darts player rose to number one in the PDC Order of Merit (world rankings) for the first time. It didn’t look like it was going to stop.
Other lenses
This year, Wright is still winning duels but fighting against himself less often: “I use different lenses and it’s hard to change that,” he explains. “The dartboard looks much closer. Then it feels like you need to give up quicker. “I have to get used to this.”
“Sometimes I stand in front of the board and see a big blur. Then it feels like the lenses don’t work anymore.”
Still, Wirght has confidence in the World Cup. Not only because he surprisingly became European champion last October, but also because his poor form has made him even more aware of his success. “You have to learn to lose before you can truly win.”
Wright is eager to win more championships. He could really use the European title. He needs to defend a lot of prize money to maintain his place in the top 10 of the world rankings. This place is determined by the prize money a darts player has won in the last two years.
Wright’s wife, Joanne, is a partner, manager and hairdresser, creating stunning hairstyles and always appearing at major tournaments. “This moment with her in the hairdresser’s chair calms me down. Then we will talk about how we will approach the game.”
When asked if Wright consciously said “we,” he answers emphatically: “Yes. “We really do this as a team.”
change arrows
“If you want to win, everything has to be right. And it’s harder than you think.” But that’s exactly what makes the game so great, Wright says in his Scottish accent. “That’s the charm: everything falls into the right place at the right time.”
While most darts players desperately cling to a single set of darts, Wright has been known to switch numerous darts even during the game.
“I want to trust myself, not my arrows,” explains the darts player. He can then also adapt his arrows to suit the conditions. “This change doesn’t surprise me much. “I’m the boss, not my arrows.”
Even though things are a little slower now, Wright is still having fun and is confident he can still win a world title. Because: “I’ve already done this twice, right?”
But the most important thing for him is to enjoy the game. “I always tell myself: Peter, you’ve got to keep loving the game. “You must like playing darts.”
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
