Sporting Life
Dimitri Van den Bergh and Peter Wright
Dimitri Van den Bergh and Peter Wright

Dimitri Van den Bergh reveals how many sets of darts that tinkerman Peter Wright has in his incredible collection

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Fri September 15, 2023 · 2y ago

Peter Wright's tinkerman ways is as much part of his legend as his two world titles and his Snakebite alter ego of crazy hairstyles and outlandish fashion sense on the oche.

If he doesn't change his darts at least once during a tournament - or even a match - something isn't quite right.

Dimitri Van den Bergh lived in Wright's mansion during the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic and took the opportunity to find out just how much tungsten equipment the man he affectionately labelled 'Mr Miyagi' had at his disposal.

He told SafeBettingSites.com: "I'm the sort of person who likes to put work in with one set of darts. Changing equipment shows me a bit of weakness and that you're not using the right material. Obviously that's my way of looking at it.

"I've had a few chats with Peter Wright about it and to put it simply, he's got over 360 sets of darts in his house.

"During Covid when I was living at his house I said bring me every set of darts you have because I want to check them all out and see exactly how many. I think it was like 366 sets but that was then and we’re a few years down the line now.

"He said it’s probably around 500 sets now. For him he feels that he can play with darts to a certain potential but then he says he cannot go further. But he can with a different dart.

"He also believes that every day you are a different man so why not play with a different dart."

Van den Bergh learned a lot from the seven-time major winner during this life-changing stay and subsequently reached new levels in his own career, winning the 2020 World Matchplay as well as four more PDC titles including two on the World Series in 2022.

He also puts his success down to help he received from Damon Heta and his wife when he moved to the UK from Belgium. The two couples ended up living together in the 'house of darts' in Leicester and it was mutually beneficial to both of them.

He said: "I have to say a big thank you to Meaghan and Damon Heta because with them we managed to find a place to live. They put a whole lot of effort in behind the scenes because we were just stuck in Belgium.

"It made playing through the Covid-19 times so much easier and better because straightaway I had one of the world’s best darts players as a practice partner. My manager loved everything about it because everything about the house was focused on darts. The house of darts in Leicester!"

There is still so much more for the 29-year-old to achieve and already has his heart set on future success in the Premier League, should he earn selection once again.

He said: "100 per cent I would love to be back there and qualify for finals night. Being picked alone is a huge honour when you’ve got 120 professionals on the tour doing whatever they can to be picked.

"My first year in the Premier League was Covid affected so it wasn’t the full experience. But in some ways last year was harder because you’re away from home more but I learned so much and mentally I’m now so much stronger."

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