sportskeeda
KAI GOTTHARDT has earned his place in the next round of the PDC World Championship, despite an unusual event during his win against Alan Soutar.
The 29-year-old German made his World Darts debut on Monday afternoon, competing against the Scotsman in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Ally Pally.
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Currently sitting at No. 135 worldwide, Gotthardt came into the first-round match as a notable underdog.
He showcased an impressive performance, moving on to Round Two after a 3-1 win over the much more seasoned Soutar.
However, an odd incident during the first set led to a burst of social media activity and a suspension of the match.
With the score at 2-1 in legs against him, Gotthardt informed the officials that he possessed only two functioning darts.
The embarrassed German presented his darts to caller George Noble, who promptly directed him off the stage.
It seemed that he had accidentally broken the barrel of one of his darts entirely.
On his debut at the sport’s grandest event, he had forgotten to bring a spare set.
Sky Sports cameras recorded the baffled newcomer looking for a new set in his dressing room.
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Meanwhile, a confused Soutar entertained the lively crowd while waiting alone at the oche.
One fan humorously commented on X: “Just three legs into his debut, and this occurs. Incredible.”
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Another joked: “That’s not ideal publicity if he’s trying to sell those darts.”
A third said: “It’s absurd that he only brought one set of darts to the stage, without any spare parts.”
Sky commentator Chris Mason mentioned on air: “I’ve seen points break. At first, I thought it was the point that snapped, but it was actually the barrel!”
“Dart designs are considerably different now, utilizing various tungsten elements to make them heavier either at the front or back.
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“Sometimes, a weak spot can appear during manufacturing.
“Typically, players will keep an entire spare set in their case in case a point breaks.
“But walking off stage to retrieve a completely different set of darts mid-game is something I’ve never witnessed before.”
Regardless of this hiccup, Gotthardt returned to deliver one of his finest performances yet.
The 29-year-old recorded an average of 89.10, making 34 visits of 100 or more in his 3-1 victory.
Gotthardt is scheduled to face fan-favorite Stephen Bunting in the second round on Friday.
