BRITISH darts star James Wade slammed Sky Sports after not being “shown once” on adverts before his World Matchplay Darts quarter-final.
“The Machine” beat Gian van Veen 16-13 on Thursday, reaching the last four at Blackpool for the tenth time in his career.
James Wade noticed his exclusion from the event promoGetty
Sky Sports cover the tournamentSky Sports
Wade says Sky Sports ‘didn’t show him once’Getty
Fresh off his win, the 42-year-old ditched his usual humble persona to call out Sky Sports’ decision to leave him out of their adverts while covering the tournament.
Speaking to the media, he said: “I probably played some of the better darts out of all dart players.
“And the whole Sky build-up for tonight didn’t show me once. That was quite a proud moment for me, going up there and following it through.
“I probably averaged better consistently than most players in here… but not one advertisement.”
Wade, who is currently ranked No.8 in the PDC rankings, says the snub has fired him up to do even better on The Oche.
He said: “It made me a little bit more hungry. It’s the kind of thing that makes me unhealthy… not weak, but it’s an unfair judgement.”
Wade believes that despite being “one of the greatest dart players on the planet” he has been continuously had a lack of recognition throughout his career.
He continued: “Darts isn’t about who’s playing great anymore. It’s about who the press has got hold of and wants to publicise. That’s it. That’s all.
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“You’ll never hear me say this again, but I believe I’m one of the greatest dart players on the planet.
“Nobody else will do what I’m doing right now. If I win this now, no one will be sat here 20 years later doing the same.”
Wade made a point of calling out darts chiefs the Professional Darts Corporation after another victory earlier in the tournament.
He joked the PDC would “change the qualifications” to play in the Premier League even if he ranks in the top four due to the body and Sky Sports thinking he’s too “awkward”.
The darts veteran also went on a rant and said he “didn’t care” about comparisons to golfer Scottie Scheffler.
Wade will meet Jonny Clayton in Saturday’s semi-final after a comfortable 16-7 victory over Stephen Bunting.
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