Hempel duped darts champion: in just four years to the EM mega sensation

Hempel dupes darts champion
In just four years to the EM mega sensation

Victory over former world champion Peter Wright: Florian Hempel causes a huge sensation at the start of the European Darts Championship in Salzburg. Because the 31-year-old only started playing darts four years ago and actually wants to become a handball player. Now London’s Ally Pally may be waiting soon.

Florian Hempel used to dream of a career in handball, now he is a professional darts player and caused a big surprise at the start of the EM in Salzburg with a victory over the former world champion and reigning European champion Peter Wright. “I put three crosses in the calendar every day and send a few prayers up because I am very grateful for this opportunity,” said the 31-year-old last on the podcast “Game on” about his young professional career.

Only four years after Hempel first picked up darts in 2017, he secured the tour card of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and is allowed to play on the large professional stage. Until then he had devoted himself to handball. As a goalkeeper he was even used in the 2nd Bundesliga for the Dessau-Roßlauer HV.

Winning the Tour Card came as a surprise to him, and even a few days later he found it “surreal”. But unimpressed by this, the family man has so far presented himself more than properly in the professional circus.

Hempel shows no nerve

Even if the fans are not on his side, like in the match against fan favorite Wright, that doesn’t upset him. “Then I already have the attitude: now more than ever, because I can throw a few arrows straight ahead! That drives me,” said Hempel after his 6-3 win at Sport1, which he still has to realize himself: “There was a million messages that make you realize this really happened. ” On Saturday he will play against the Austrian Mensur Suljovic at the European Championships.

He doesn’t really know whether the long time in handball would be an advantage for him. “It is something different to stand on a dartsboard in a 1: 1 situation than on a handball field, where you always have to rely on the others,” said Hempel. In handball he also reacts to the other players, in darts he is solely responsible for himself.

Hempel has been training up to eight hours a day since 2018. To this end, he organizes tournaments, offers workshops and operates a YouTube channel so that financially, he is not only dependent on the prize money at tournaments. The summit of his steep ascent would be the World Cup in London’s Ally Pally. He is no longer far from it, as he showed with his victory over Peter Wright.

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