After purchasing his World Cup ticket and before planning his trip, darts player Dragutin Horvat had fundamental things to clarify. “I have to talk to my boss first. I don’t have any vacation. I don’t have any time off,” said the 47-year-old Horvat immediately after successfully qualifying. “Maybe I won’t be allowed to go to London. I don’t know.”
Horvat was of course allowed to go to London. He will make his World Cup debut (9 p.m./DAZN and Sport1) against the Belgian Mike De Decker. Seven years after his debut and the 3-0 defeat against Australian Simon Whitlock, Horvat returns to Alexandra Palace. Horvat’s difference to the other four German starters at the World Cup: the man from Kassel – nicknamed Hercules – is still working as a warehouse clerk and has to coordinate the numerous darts appointments with his job.
When asked how he got into the sport, Horvat replied to the station Hit Radio FFH: “Like a virgin to a child! I actually wanted to watch football in the pub and in the next room there were three men who were playing darts and they “We were looking for a fourth man. They tried to persuade me for hours – I didn’t want to, I was too stupid to throw any arrows in there, pick them up again, and then throw them in again.” After they convinced him, Horvat said he was the best in the round after six hours.
