 
Ladbrokes.com World Darts Champion John
Part tackles your questions in a new planetdarts.co.uk
Q&A.
Q: Are you superstitious,
do you have a pre-match ritual?
Andrew Cherry, Newcastle
JP: I'm not superstitious; I probably
have the same pre-match habits but no there is nothing
in particular that I do.
Q: Coming from Canada
and having played in tournaments in the States what
do you think it will take for the sport to take off
in the US?
Dan Boyce, Cleveland, Ohio
JP: I think it's already got a good
base of players but there needs to be a pro circuit
developed with television. You need people to be able
to play for money to take it to the furtherest and get
the sponsorship they need.
It's a little too hard for some players
to justify their sponsorship request based on what's
available.
Q: I have watched you
play in tavern atmospheres as well as large halls and
it seems that you have the ability to adapt to each
setup. With your experience in playing at a wide range
of venues around the world where do you feel most comfortable?
Doug Wilkinson, St Louis, Missouri
JP: On stage. It takes a while but when
you get used to it and feel at home up there, there
is nothing better than being on the televised stage.
Especially the Circus Tavern.
Q: You are only the third man
to win both world titles with both organisations. Which
gave you the greatest pleasure and who is the true world
champion?
Rick, Manchester
JP: Winning the PDC one gave me more
pleasure because it followed years and years of work;
plus overcoming Phil Taylor and everyone else for that
matter.
Whereas I won the Embassy straight off.
It was still a great thrill, I'm not trying to say it
wasn't but overall it's much more satisfying to win
this PDC title now and here in 2003 and I look forward
to defending it. I do feel that I would be the trueEworld
champion or real World Champion.
Barneveld is a real world champion as
well; it's just a different thing.
Q: What mental tools
or tricks do you use to keep your nerves under control
during high pressure matches such as the World Championship
Final?
Craig Owens
JP: If I gave away my secrets then people
would know!
I just try and focus harder I suppose
on what I'm doing. Maybe not try too hard.
It's a difficult one to answer. Maybe
concentrate on breathing a bit, just slow yourself down.
That's the kind of things you can do.
Q: Can you tell me what
your mind set was in the match with Phil Taylor when
it went to the last set. Were you concerned about losing
after you had lead for such a long time?
Girvinder, London
JP: Well I was down 5-4 and from talking
to everyone afterwards that seems to have been when
everyone wrote me off! Then I went back up 6-5 and yeh,
I was a little concerned about going to 6-6 again, but
I['ve been down 5-4 and close to going down 6-4. But
by that point I thought this is anyone's match, so I
didn't think about losing and I had an opportunity handed
to me to win.
Q: Would you like to
see a tournament where the Top 16 PDC players take on
the Top 16 PDC players?
Ajit Varsani, London
JP: Yeh, it sounds like a fun tournament.
I don't think in reality it'll happen but you never
know.
I would hope it wouldn't be so politically
oriented in terms of what importance it had but it would
just be interesting to have players who haven't had
chance to play one another on television much at all,
if any, to go head to head, or at least be involved
in the same tournament.
Q: Have you ever thrown
a 9-Dart finish?
Martijn, Holland 
JP: No I haven't.
Q: What suggestions
would you have to improve the image and appeal of the
game to a wider audience and to take darts into the
21st century?
Sean Webster
JP: Keep more tournaments coming and
be more visible.
We need to stage them at good times
when people can watch EI'm speaking more North America
I suppose because of bad exposure there.
But we need to move it into the rest
of the world. North America would be good, helping the
game grow into Asia as well because there are a lot
of people who play good darts there and it's affordable
for them. If we can get that message across the ranks
of darts players will grow.
Q: You won the Embassy
in 1994 and nine years later you have won the PDC title.
In that space of time did you ever contemplate giving
up darts?
William Ellis
JP: No I've played solid all the way
through. There has never been any time I've wanted to
quit.
Q: What was more rewarding
putting one over on The Power or actually picking up
the globe and realising you were world champ?
Darren Hoban
JP: Being World Champion is the most
important thing and winning the tournament. It was just
a bonus that it was Phil and it was the first time in
eight years that he's lost there which made it extra
special. Essentially what makes it special is that it's
the World Championship that was the more important thing.
Q: Do you have a personal
oche at home or do you practise elsewhere?
Daryl Parker, Leicestershire
JP: I usually practise at home. I find
it's easier, less distractions and I can listen to what
I want to when I practise. |
