James Wade has issued an apology after admitting he 'wanted to really hurt' opponent Seigo Asada during his victory at the PDC World Darts Championship on Wednesday night. The world No 9, who lives with bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attributed his behaviour to a hypomania episode experienced before the match.
Wade battled back from a set down to beat the Japanese qualifier 3-2, but his conduct on stage drew criticism. He shouted at Asada after levelling the match at 1-1 and later said in an interview: 'I kept giving it to him, I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to really hurt him in his face.' Former player and pundit Wayne Mardle described Wade's actions as 'thuggish'.
In a statement posted on Twitter on Thursday morning, Wade expressed deep regret. 'Seigo Asada is a great player and I would like to say sorry to him, the fans and the PDC,' he wrote. 'I was fighting a battle with myself due to a hypo mania episode which can happen to me at any time.' Hypomania is a mood state linked with bipolar disorder, characterised by euphoria and lack of inhibition.
The PDC confirmed that the match will be reviewed by the Darts Regulation Authority, the independent body responsible for player discipline. Meanwhile, on the oche, Ryan Searle caused an upset by defeating 11th seed Mensur Suljovic 3-1, while former BDO champions Steve Beaton and Stephen Bunting were eliminated.
