Is Darts a sport?

There was a discussion in the pub the other night about wether darts was a sport. One of my friends said it was due to skill and knowledge of the game being needed to play well and win championships. My other friend disagreed and said that it was not a sport due to no physical exerserion was used and therefore was not a sport.

What do you think?

Also what about Snooker?

IMO it is not a sport because it does not require physical exertion.

i think it's classed as a sport. but i dont know.

Wikipedia and the dictionaries call it a "game."

Yeah apparently it is.

It is classed as a sport..people build muscles for it don't they :S

It is not a sport - it is a game.

Apparently sport England have given it sport classification.

Then they are fools!

that they are but finally they decided onhaving a sport that involves drinking alcoholic beverages.

https://www.bullseyenews.com/feature2503-05.html

24 March 2005


Sport England today took the lead in officially recognising darts as a sporting activity.

The decision was approved at a recent Sport England Main Board meeting and paves the way for further recognition from other sports councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In taking the initiative to acknowledge darts as a legitimate sporting activity, Sport England took into account its status as a national and international sport, its high and growing levels of participation and the physical and mental skills and dexterity needed to compete successfully.

Sport England Chief Executive, Roger Draper, said that the Board decision looked beyond the stereotypical image of darts and took into account its many positive sporting and social values: ?The presentation of darts as a pub game has helped popularise its cult appeal, but the reality is that it is a sport played by many thousands of people across the county in locations ranging from schools to village halls, social clubs and sports centres.

"By taking the lead in recognising the skills and social and community values associated with darts, we hope others will follow suit in the near future to complete its formal and official recognition as a sport,? he added.

Full sporting recognition will allow darts authorities to take advantage of tax incentives afforded to recognised sports by the Government. There are currently no plans for Sport England to fund darts, as in February this year the four-year funding strategy was confirmed for the national governing bodies of sport.

So why can't we just have the alchy Olympics like I suggested?

I wouldn't say it is a sport, I would call it a game...

Hey what about the physical exertion of lifting pints of beer over the extended gut and making the hike upto the chuck line. All very athletic if you ask me.