Life

Beijing dartistry: flights, pints and laughs

By Jude Alefounder (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-17 08:09

A night of darts at Tim's Texas Barbecue. Photos Provided to China Daily

BIDL player Joey Borboran smiles with his trophies.

Awards on offer at the BIDL end of season ceremony.

If you have ever been in one of Beijing's sports bars and found yourself baffled by a huge group of people cheering on a darts game, then you have probably come into contact with the Beijing International Darts League (BIDL).

Having been going in various formats for over a decade, the current Beijing International Darts League consists of divisions 1, 2A and 2B, played at various pub venues around the city.

The league usually runs twice in a year, with a Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter league. Although darts may sometimes seem like a niche game, the Beijing league attracts more 20 teams with more than 200 registered players in total.

Run by chairwoman Richarda Schmidt in conjunction with both expat and Chinese board members, the league offers a chance to play darts for all ability ranges.

Brit Dave White helps with PR and website management for the BIDL.

"Division 1 is full of the more serious players, many of whom are at an excellent standard," he said.

"The two lower divisions still have good quality but also involve plenty of drinking and partying as well."

The social atmosphere is certainly important, particularly with a wide range of people participating.

"We have about half Chinese and half expat players, with both young and old as well as male and female involved," White said.

Venues that participate with the darts league offer drink deals during matches for participants and spectators, with the occasional food special too.

These venues include Tim's Texas Barbecue, Frank's Place, The Den and The Stumble Inn, all of which have quality dart boards for competition.

What is most interesting about the league in terms of darts play is the opportunity to play different team and individual games.

Teams need a minimum of six players but can have up to 12.

First there is a 1,001 team game, followed by six singles matches of 501, three doubles games of 701 and a team match of "Mickey Mouse" - a game that mainly deals with constant accuracy.

This offers players the chance to test their skills in a variety of different match types and also means everyone gets to play more than once.

There are plenty of prizes on offer as well, even for the most casual of teams with the most inexperienced players.

All player stats are taken down, so the individuals who perform well in their teams as well as against all other players can be recognized at the end of the season.

This means that every throw is a chance

to improve a score, which adds to the fun and healthy competitive nature of the league.

Although the league hasn't yet developed any world-level players, 180's do happen in division 1 - although perfection is not the main drive of the league.

"The real point of the league is for people to have fun and few beers whilst playing a game they love," said White.

"The only low point for me is when the season finishes. I would happily play every week."

This is quite different to some of the

Chinese counterpart organizations, where darts are played in a dark, hushed atmosphere and taken very seriously. That approach also doesn't produce world-class talent and removes the social, pub-based element that is so crucial to darts culture and history.

Professional players may not drink on stage anymore but the crowd is always lively. This is something that the BIDL tries to maintain.

"Many of the BIDL teams have their own victory songs and this all adds to the atmosphere when playing," White added.

Pub darts may be a dying art in many places but it is alive and well in Beijing. As the league continues it could well produce quality players and spark a darts revolution in China.

But even if it doesn't, playing in the BIDL is still a great night out with a diverse range of people. So what are you waiting for - go get your ocky on.