'I'm a World Darts Championship star - despite not being able to see the board properly'
'I'm a World Darts Championship star - despite not being able to see the board properly'
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Landing a nine-darter under the spotlight is a monumental achievement for any darts player - but pulling it off while struggling to see the board clearly is nothing short of extraordinary. Enter Ryan Searle, one of darts' top stars, whose eyes have been affected by astigmatism - a condition that causes distorted or blurred vision - since childhood. His fortunes took a sharp turn for the better when he began using contact lenses, allowing him to rise swiftly through the ranks.
Incredibly though, there are still moments when he has to stop and ask where his throw has landed. "It has not been easy," the Somerset native told the Daily Star last year. "I wear contact lenses to play and it's improved my sight a little bit. I was about [No.] 54 in the world playing without contact lenses, then I went up to about [No.] 15 once I could see a little bit better. I'm quite a rhythmic player so it helped that I wasn’t having to stop and ask [the referee] every few throws. It has definitely helped my game.
LOVE THE DARTS? Get your ultimate World Darts Championship preview now. "It's still not great and I have to ask every now and again. But that's what I've always known so it's not like I've gone from having good vision to not being able to see. That's how I've always seen the board and my eyesight isn't getting any worse, which is a positive.".
