Despite it going through a dark and troubled time right now, darts is proving to be one shining light for the Palestinian people.
Their national darts champion, Taiseer Mustafa, says it’s difficult to watch the destruction and deaths amongst his people in Gaza from his home in Ireland, where he has lived for the past 17 years.
However it is through his love of darts that Taiseer can see a way that the people of his homeland can move forward with confidence.
The Palestinian Darts Federation was only founded in 2022, but already the organisation’s darts players are making their mark on the international stage.
In October, Taiseer was part of a four-man team that competed at the WDF Africa Cup in Egypt, winning bronze medals in the singles, doubles and team events.
It is staggering success for a team that is less than two years old, and with Palestine only joining the World Darts Federation last year, while Taiseer’s brother Riad was their first ever international participant at the 2023 Bahrain Open.
Meanwhile, 51-year-old Taiseer, who moved from Ramallah to work in Ireland in 2007 and now lives in Dublin, has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past year.
“My brother first introduced me to darts when I was about 12 years old,” he said.
“However we only ever played the game for fun and not in any systematic way.
“It is only over the past year that I have been playing the game competitively…and my game is improving the more I play.
“I may be 51 now but I feel as if I am still in my 20s when I play darts.”
Earlier this year, Taiseer was allowed to enter Palestine’s first ever national darts championships, playing his games online from Ireland.
“My nephew also played, from his home in Spain,” he says.
“We have up to 40 players in Palestine now, including eight women, so it is growing all the time.
“The standard is not very strong but I was still very happy to win and become Palestine’s first ever national darts champion.
Taiseer also recently played at the WDF events in the Killarney darts festival in November.
He admitted to being blown away by the huge popularity of darts in Ireland and at such a high standard.
“Even to see so many Irish youth players turning up and playing was really incredible and they are already at a very high standard,” he said.
“Ireland has players at the PDC World Championships but I am sure that many of these new youth players will be making it to the big stage as well.”
And he sees no reason why players from Palestine can’t join them.
“Hopefully the bronze medals we won at the Africa Cup will make some companies back home sit up and take notice and maybe financially support us in the future.
“It is not even for the players we have now but to bring through more youth players can continue to compete…
“It is a very tough time for us right now but we all want to see a future that can be bright and sports like darts can help to make that happen.”
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Words: Keith Falkiner
Images: Palestinian Darts Federation
Originally published in Darts World Magazine 588 (December 2024)
