You mightn’t think that the concept of blind darts is possible, but this will really open your eyes.
That’s right, the first blind darts team in the UK will make their tournament debut in a charity tournament today, having been formed in a pub known as The Dolphin Inn in the town of Grampound in Cornwall.
Known, rather appropriately, as the Optimists, the four-person team was founded by 69-year old Richard Pryor, who runs a support group for the blind and visually impaired and formed the team after a suggestion from Joe Fryer, the landlord of The Dolphin Inn.
“He asked if we wanted to put in a blind darts team,” Pryor is quoted as saying on itv.com.
“After three pints I am up for anything and we said ‘yes’.”
You’re probably wondering at this stage how a blind person can play darts when they can’t actually see the board, but the team have put in a lot of practise by using a piece of string to help guide their darts to the board.
“No one has been injured yet, although there has been quite a bit of damage to the door and around the board,” Pryor added.
Having advertised for players not long after Joe Fryer suggested putting the team together, Pryor was met with a great response and formed a team made up of himself and three ladies, Rachel Beresford, Carol Pirret and Sharon Waters.
Pirret talked about being “very excited” about the competition and while Waters appears to share her team-mate’s enthusiasm, she’s not getting carried away about their chances of success.
“Seeing as it’s for charity I thought ‘oh why not?’” she said.
“It’s going to be fun, I think, but I don’t fancy our chances.”
We don’t know about that Sharon, sometimes these tournaments are decided by nothing but blind luck. *JOE goes to get coat
