The Moama Bowing Club will host the Australian Darts Open from August 3 to 6, with the Pacific Masters (August 7) and Australian Championships (August 8 to 13) to be held at Rich River Golf Club.
After the inaugural open event in 2019, Moama Bowling Club sales and marketing manager George Santos said he hoped this year’s competition would be even bigger and better.
“Our first event was awesome, we had a terrific following,” Santos said.
“There is a lot of interest and we were surprised at just how much interest there was initially.
“Now we are aiming to take it somewhere to where it is in the UK, where there is a massive following.
“We bought some new staging, we have new projectors and screens to show the whole event live, we’ve purchased new backdrops to make the whole thing look more professional. The whole thing visually is very exciting.”
Santos said he was hoping there would be an electric atmosphere at the bowling club, with dining and bar facilities also open throughout the event.
“The whole club will be alive, there will be a lot happening,” Santos said.
Darts is hugely popular in the UK and across Europe, and Santos encouraged those who haven’t been before to come and enjoy the atmosphere, encouraging spectators to hop on board some of the popular trends seen at overseas matches.
Costumes, dress ups, singing and cheering are all common at European tournaments, and Santos said he hoped to see some of that at the open.
“Come and enjoy something different at a professional level. You are looking at some of the best in the world, and these people are here to put on a show. You are going to be seeing the best there is live,” he said.
“Have a look at what happens in the UK, that’s a great example. They really get into it, and they have special outfits and fancy dress — get in there, pick someone and back them up.
“There are a few contenders that really want to prove themselves and I think it will be a tightly contested event. It will be very exciting to see the competitors vie for that final prize.”
There is free entry to the open event at the Moama Bowling Club.
No ticket is required for the Thursday and Friday sessions, however free tickets need to be booked for the Saturday finals.
Santos said the three darts events were a “hat trick” for the Echuca-Moama region.
“It’s a triple win. For our club to be able to showcase this sport at its best, it is a privilege for us to be able to have these professionals here,” he said.
“For the sport of darts, its great to see it come alive again after the past two years.
“Thirdly, to our community, its tremendous to see all the industries get the flow on effect from everyone coming to town.”
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