Nathan Aspinall has cast doubt on the long-term future of the Professional Darts Corporation's (PDC) involvement in Saudi Arabia, following concerns over the atmosphere at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters in Riyadh. The tournament, held at the Global Theatre on Monday, featured eight PDC players alongside eight Asian representatives.
Aspinall, 34, began his campaign with a 6-0 whitewash win over Lourence Ilagan, but was unimpressed by the subdued crowd. The world No. 14 suggested some fans were not there voluntarily, saying: 'I am not stupid, I feel like they were not all there off their own accord shall we say.' He described the venue as 'quite small' but acknowledged that 'everything needs to start somewhere.'
The Stockport-born player, who missed out on Premier League selection earlier this month, was one of seven PDC players to reach the quarter-finals. Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Stephen Bunting, Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen, and Gerwyn Price also advanced, alongside Hong Kong's Man Lok Leung, who defeated Danny Noppert 6-3.
Aspinall, a former World Matchplay champion, expressed mixed feelings about the Saudi event, noting it was 'certainly different' but that he had enjoyed his time there. He added: 'There is worse places to be. I could be sat in Glossop in the snow, so hopefully we can be back again.'
