Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Schmutzler youngest World Cup starter
From the nursery to the Ally Pally
Fabian Schmutzler should actually have to go to school for a few more days before Christmas. The A student has no time for that, because he has qualified for the Darts World Cup. In London he is suddenly on the big stage. And that at just 16 years of age.
Actually, Fabian Schmutzler was only supposed to be there as a spectator, now the 16-year-old is even stepping onto the stage at the Darts World Cup. “It’s just still indescribable, unbelievable. I’m just looking forward to it and want to enjoy it,” said an overjoyed Schmutzler in the podcast “Game on” about his debut. The teenager is the first of four German participants to enter the biggest and most important tournament of the year: on Thursday he will meet Ryan Meikle from England.
Schmutzler will be well prepared, after all, “The Fabolous Fab” imagined a long time ago what it would be like to be a player in London’s “Ally Pally”. He even went through his walk-on down to the last detail. This cannot do any harm, after all, Schmutzler is not used to such a big stage and nobody could have guessed that this dream would become a reality so quickly. “I have the greatest respect for the spectators, the atmosphere and the volume,” said the big fan of Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.
Because it was not until November that Schmutzler completely surprisingly qualified for the World Cup via the Development Tour and thus made a dream come true. “Guys, I just can’t keep up. Thanks for all the congratulations. Simply unbelievable,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. One thing in particular has changed since then. “The hustle and bustle around me, all the media hype,” said Schmutzler.
After three years already at the World Cup
And that is understandable, after all, Schmutzler only started throwing arrows three years ago. Back then, his parents gave him a darts board for Christmas, after which everything happened very quickly. The first tournaments, youth championships and the Darts Bundesliga followed. And now: the first World Cup in London.
There, Schmutzler is the second youngest participant in history, should he win his first round match, he would even be the youngest winner so far. Nobody less than Peter Wright, 2020 world champion, would then be waiting there. There is not really a sporting goal for Schmutzler, a big fan of “darts icon” Raymond van Barneveld. When asked which headline he would like to read the day after his World Cup debut, Schmutzler did not want to answer. “I’m a bit superstitious,” he revealed with a wink.
Former World Cup participant Tomas “Shorty” Seyler sees it similarly and wishes him a “great evening”. “He should just enjoy the game and give his best,” said the TV expert: “And if it fits, then a win can jump out of it. If not, he has already had a huge experience at a young age.”
And that cannot harm him on a possible path to a professional career. But before Schmutzler concentrates on it, the first-grade student would like to do the Abi. Because his real plan is to become a chemistry and Latin teacher. But Schmutzler will certainly not mind if he can take part in more tournaments in the future. A first win at the World Cup would definitely help.