Photo: Charlie Evatt/Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The ban on alcohol in sports canteens, which State Minister Martin van Oijen wants to impose, could win a round of applause from the Dutch darts federations. Darts clubs cannot wait for the ban to become a reality.
If it were up to Secretary of State Van Oijen, there would soon be no more drinks in sports canteens. Remsbeek’s Bulls Eye darts club, which trains every Saturday at Het Wapen van Remsbeek café, fully supports the proposed alcohol ban. “People come to our darts club primarily to work on their fitness,” says club president John Bruins.
“A cup of water or tea around the dartboard is no problem at all,” Bruins says. “Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that someone drinks an alcoholic drink while playing darts. Of course, we are already taking firm action against this, but there is still a lack of legal framework. I am happy that the government is now working on this matter.”
Just in time for bed
According to Bruins, a healthy lifestyle is the norm in the world of amateur darts: “Amateur darts players actually care about their health 24 hours a day. This starts with breakfast: it is nutritious and not particularly fatty. Weekday evenings are devoted to fitness and yoga And strength training. And of course, go to bed on time, because adequate sleep is important. All of this is necessary to be at your best in front of the darts board on Saturday evening. We may be amateurs, but a good amateur darts player takes this sport seriously. Of course, this is not Includes alcohol.
